To Conform or Not, That is the Question

In the World or Of the World? 

All my life I have heard and also said, “We (as believers in and receivers of Jesus) are in the world but not of the world.” But as I searched for that particular phrase, I learned that it is not an actual verse in the Bible. Hmmm….Now, obviously, that concept is referenced numerous times in the teachings of Jesus and reiterated by the authors of many New Testament books. But just so we are clear, when we use that phrase, we are not quoting scripture but rather a Biblical principle and teaching. So let’s look at what that principle looks like lived out.

In my last post, we examined Daniel and his three friends after they were taken captive to Babylon and “enrolled” in King Nebuchadnezzar’s three year training academy prior to being put into his royal service. Part of that training was to be well fed from the best of King Nebby’s pantry in order to grow physically strong. Dan and his buds resolved that they would not be disobedient to God by eating forbidden foods. With God’s intervention, they made a deal with the King’s headmaster of this academy to eat only vegetables and water for ten days. At the end of those days, they would be measured, weighed and judged against those who did eat and drink of the King’s best to see if they were falling behind in their development. Their faith in God was so strong, that they were determined to remain faithful to Him.

And God rewarded their faithfulness to Him. Even as King Nebby did everything possible to strip them of all things Jewish and remake them into all things Babylonian, God was with them and proved them to be the most physically fit and the most adept academically. So much so, that eventually they were elevated into a high level of service to the king. Their story of faith and God’s use of them for His purposes in that pagan kingdom is chronicled in the rest of the book of Daniel.

The account of Daniel and his friends begs this question: how can God’s people resist the pressures that can “squeeze” them into conformity with the world? It’s an age-old question, but there is no more relevant question for today’s believers! How do we live “in” today’s culture and not become part “of” the culture?

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2 NAS

You see, Daniel and friends would not conform to the parts of Babylonian culture that went against the laws of God; they would not dishonor God even with the threat of death vs. possible favor with the most powerful person in the world at that time! What an example for us to learn from.

According to Romans 12, “conformers” are people whose lives are controlled by pressures from without. To conform means to act in accordance with the prevailing standards, attitudes, practices, etc., of a society or group; to be integrated. While “transformers” are those who lives are controlled by a power from within. Transform means to undergo a change in form, appearance, or character; to be altered. In other words, a conformer looks like, talks like, and acts like the culture around her. A transformer stands out because she is different in many ways from her culture.

These four men were transformed by their faith and relationship with God. And in turn and over time, God used them as agents of change. In fact, He used them to transform the minds of powerful rulers and to bring great glory to His name in a pagan land. But how? How were they able to not conform, especially given the pressure they were put under, and, instead, become powerful agents of change in that ungodly culture?

Their first step in becoming transformers in the world they found themselves in was giving themselves wholly to the Lord. Daniel and his friends’ hearts, the totality of their beings, belonged to the Lord (Ch. 1:8). Remember, when faced with the unholy diet, they resolved or were determined not to partake. Let’s be real. That determination to live for the Lord was in them before they were taken captive to Babylon! That’s an important detail. If we are not already grounded in the Lord and who we are in Him before the trials come our way, it will be almost impossible to take a bold stand for what is right and holy in His sight. It is when faced with the trial that we discover how deep our faith really is. A heart that loves the Lord, trusts the Lord, and obeys the Lord has no difficulty making the right choices when hit with the tragedies and difficulties of life.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it springs the issues of life.” Faith is not believing in spite of evidence – that’s superstition – but obeying in spite of consequences.

The second step in them becoming transformers was to be gracious toward those in authority. These four young men noticed that headmaster Ashpanez was especially friendly and kind to them, and most importantly, they recognized that as the working of the Lord. Ch. 1:9 says, “Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials.” Instead of acting like belligerent prisoners, these four recognized the risk they were asking Ash to take by allowing them to change the prescribed diet. His head was on the line, literally! They asked, not demanded, a short trial period – one that was not long enough to endanger Ash more than necessary. Over and over in scripture, we see courageous men and women of God who had to defy authority in order to be obedient, and in every successful case, they took the wise and gentle approach. “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18

These four young Jewish students were grounded in their faith, but they didn’t threaten anyone, stage a protest, or  burn down buildings. They simply lived their faith, excelled at their studies, and acted like gentlemen. They lived in the culture but did not become part of that culture. They did not conform, but as time went on, became transformers in that ungodly culture.

Unfortunately, today believers are faced with the same basic dilemma as these believers hundreds of years ago. Our culture has eroded into one that is being taken over by those who would like nothing better than to strip us of everything that is holy and remake us into a God-less society. I believe we are on the precipice of great consequences. It is time for believers to be like Daniel and his friends – we must ground ourselves in our faith so that we will be able to be resolved to live it out when faced with the sinful trends of our culture.

I am encouraged when I remember that Jesus, right before being arrested and crucified, prayed for us, today’s believers.

I have given them your Word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They don’t belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth….I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message (that’s us!). I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one… John 17:14-21 NLT

It is easy to be a conformer – to not make waves, not take an opposing stand, just go along to get along. But that is not what we are called to be. We are called to be transformers in this world. We become transformers by the very power that lives within us – the power of the living God who resides in every receiver of Jesus Christ in the form of His Holy Spirit.

The choice is up to us. Do we want to be part “of” this world or do we want to live as a light, a beacon of hope “in” this world? The consequences of either choice are great and have eternal significance for us, our loved ones, and those we encounter in this journey called life.

I pray to be resolved like Daniel and his friends!

I am resolved to follow the Savior, faithful and true each day; Heed what He say-eth, do what He will-eth, He is the living way. (Stanza 3 of the old hymn, I Am Resolved)

 

Ordinary or Extraordinary?

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about the difference between being conformed or transformed spiritually in relation to the world in which we live. Today, my mind is thinking about the difference between being ordinary or extraordinary.

I think of ordinary as being like most other things in the same category. I play Bunco with a wonderful group of teacher friends. For years, each table played with the normal white dice with black dots - ordinary. Then a math teacher in the group brought dice she used with her students. Some were green, some red, some yellow, some pink, etc. - extraordinary! We never know what color of dice will be at our table as we try to play our way to the top! For some strange reason, it makes our games more fun. (It may be that it just doesn't take much to entertain ladies who have been with kids all day!)

In the same manner, after I had been teaching long enough to get my legs under me, I decided I did not want to be an ordinary teacher teaching an ordinary subject. I wanted my students to love literature and writing and even grammar (now that's a stretch!) as much as I did. So if it meant creating lesson plans beyond what the textbook suggested or thinking up assignments and projects that would capture their interest and also be somewhat fun, then that's what I would try to do. At one point, the teachers on my interdisciplinary team and I decided to recreate with the students the Oregon Trail. We put together math, English, history, and science to tramp across the acreage surrounding our school with the students pulling their wagons and dealing with our version of the many hazards the pioneers faced.

Now, obviously, we had mixed reactions from the students. These were eighth graders, so to some it was NOT cool to be dressed up like a pioneer pulling a red wagon loaded down with pounds of bricks and water jugs. I did see quite a bit of eye-rolling going on! But we had so much fun, and I can guarantee you that those students will remember more about Westward Expansion than they ever thought possible. My oldest daughter was in that first group of trail-blazers, so I saw a LOT of eye-rolling from her. I mean - it was her MOTHER making them all do this! Not cool! But not long ago, she mentioned how much fun that experience was and how unlike any other "lesson" in school she experienced - and she is almost 30! It was extraodinary!

Well, I don't want to live an ordinary Christian life! And I don't believe the Lord wants or expects the ordinary from us. Let's look back to Romans 12:2 -

• Do not be conformed to this world [live like ordinary, worldly people], but be transformed by the renewing of your mind....[live an extraordinary life by learning to think like Jesus] (editorial comments are mine)

Living that kind of extraordinary life can't be accomplished without the help of the Holy Spirit living in a believer. But if that Spirit does live there, then that believer has the capacity to learn to think like Jesus. And that, my friends, will lead to an extra-extraordinary existence!

A good place to begin is Philippians 4:8. This verse can serve as a filter for our thought processes.

• Finally brethern, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

If we want to have our minds renewed, to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, then we must choose to learn to think like He thinks. That verse gives us insight into what He likes His mind to ponder. Truth, honor, righteousness, purity, love, excellence, praise-worthy....

Now, I've been working on this for a while, and I have to tell you it is NOT an easy task. It is NOT our nature to think on the honorable, right, pure and lovely things about ourself, our circumstances, or other people! So don't get discouraged and give in to being ordinary. Remember that you (I) can do all things through Christ who gives us (me) the strength! (Phil. 4:13)

Let's agree that we want to be one of those green, red, or even yellow die that when scattered on the table draws attention to itself because it is different - in a good way. Our difference will be because we have the mind of Christ and are learning to think like Him.

How Do You Define Success?

Most of us define success in terms of our occupations, income, and possessions. Our culture perpetuates that definition as well. One problem with that concept is that there is no period to that definition. In other words, enough is never enough - mostly due to those darn Jones'! We spend way too much time, energy, and money trying to keep up with them, but they seem to always be one or two steps ahead!

One of my daughters is really good with techno-things like computers and cameras. That's good for me because when I can't figure something out, I call her. She is the one who kept insisting that I change over to an iPhone when the 3GS came out, and I am glad she did! As soon as the 3GS came out, she bought one herself and sold her original iPhone. But when the iPhone 4 was about to be released, she learned that our local provider would only have 60 for the first week or so. She arrived at the store at five o'clock the morning of the big release and was second in line. (As a side note, I haven't updated to the 4 yet, but it is really a great phone that has a camera flash and "face talk" ability. I will update when my contract is up!)

My point is not to rag on my daughter for keeping up with technology - 'cause like I said, I will update my own phone soon. The point is that there is always something else on the horizon that is better or more modern than what we have. I'm positive that as I write, Apple is working on the next generation of the iPhone. We can spend our lives trying to keep up with everything and everyone, but if that's how we define success, it will be fleeting and we will be frustrated human beings.

God's Word has a lot of say about success and prosperity. In the New Testament, Jesus equates a successful life to living an abundant life. Abundant in Him and not in the physical, temporal things of this world. Look at Jesus Himself. I feel certain He would say He lived a successful, prosperous life - even though it was murderously cut short in His thirties. He knew the Father intimately, and He lived out the fruit of the Spirit found in Galations 5. And most importantly, He fulfilled the Father's purpose for His life - on the cross. So if we define success via Jesus, it is 1) knowing the Father intimately, 2) living an abundant life (in the spiritual sense), and 3) fulfilling God's purpose for our lives. Um...doesn't have much to do with the latest gadgets and gizzmos, or bank accounts and addresses, does it?

Jesus showed us what a successful life looks like. We can go back to Joshua to find out how to attain that kind of success. The first nine verses of Joshua is a treasure-trove, but let's concentrate on verse eight.

• "This book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous and then you shall have success."

My paraphrase of that verse goes like this (BTW, it is based on study and research):

• Be sure you read and know the Word of God. Ponder it all the time and in every situation. Obey everything it says. Then you will be successful and prosperous - like Jesus.

Very simple to say; very difficult to live out. Success revolves around knowing God intimately - He reveals Himself through His Word. The more we know His Word, meditate on His Word, and obey His Word, the more we know Him. The better we know Him, the more abundant our lives will be - we can actually live in the fruit of the Spirit - love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness. And just as Jesus did during his earthly life, we can know and fufill His purpose for our individual lives by knowing Him intimately.

That, my friends, is His definition of success. There is certainly nothing wrong with trying to better ourselves in the worldly definition. Thank goodness I haven't talked myself out of that new iPhone! However, when those desires override our desire to spend time getting to know Him more deeply, our idea of success has shifted, and it's time to re-evaluate our priorities. His desires need to always be put before our own. Then we will taste the sweetness of His presence in our midst.

Patient Obedience and Self-Control...

I have always been an outspoken person - that's just how God designed me. But just because that's how He made me, doesn't mean I've always used that characteristic in a good way and to bring Him glory. In fact, I've used my quick wit and sharp tongue to harm many people throughout my life. Having the ability to use words, written and spoken, in creative, persuasive ways is a blessing and a curse. In high school and college, it helped me win contests and awards; in teaching, it has helped me advance my ideas and connect to people; in my personal life, it has helped me break down the barriers that a disability can build. But the words of my sweet mother have echoed through my head since I was a teenager. "Debbie, your mouth is going to get you into more trouble than you know what to do with!" And she was SO right! That's the curse side of this ability. After teaching for a few years, I ran into my sixth grade teacher at my home church one Sunday. I immediately was transported back to her classroom and replayed the many times I was hateful to her - almost daring her to take me out to the hall and give me spats. Then I thought of my experiences on the other side of that relationship and how it feels as a teacher to be so disrespected. When the final amen was said, I caught up with  her and explained that I had been teaching for a while and just wanted to apologize for my behavior when I was in her classroom. She stared at me with cold, piercing eyes, and said, "You should apologize." WOW! That was like a slap in the face. I left there in disbelief and almost angry that she was so rude. But as I pondered that experience for several days, I began to realize her response came from the hurt I had caused her. God showed me how my actions and words - even as an eleven-year old - had had a lasting, negative affect on this lady. (As a side note, she must have pondered on it also because since then, any time I am in my home church, she seeks me out and is very sweet to me.) It also served as a lesson for me in how fragile my witness for the Lord is. When I am out of control - it will harm my influence for Christ.

The writer of the book of James had this to say about the tongue: "the tongue is a fire, the very word of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is set on fire by hell...But no one came tame the tongue; it is a restless evil and full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing." James 3:6-10. Those are very strong words! But so full of truth!

It takes patient obedience to tame the tongue. In fact, it is impossible - without obedience to the Holy Spirit. James said no one came tame the tongue - only through the Spirit, can one get a handle on it. Perhaps that's why God gave the Children of Israel an exercise in holding their tongue before they captured the city of Jericho. The account of taking that fortified city is found in Joshua 6.

The Israelites, who, according to scholars, numbered two million, had just crossed the Jordan River and entered the land promised to them generations before. Moses had died and Joshua was now their spiritual and military leader. Jericho was one of the oldest cities in the world. It had fortified walls that were in some places 25 feet high and 20 feet thick. It was the symbol of military power and strength for that part of the world and was considered invincible. But God is omnipotent! And he purposed that His people would take the city and root out evil from this promised land. Even before He laid out His plan for Joshua, He said to him, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its kings and the valiant warriors." (6:2) The victory had already been won; Joshua and his people just had to be obedient and claim the victory.

Now, God's plan to take the city seems somewhat absurd to us. Joshua was to take part of his army, followed by seven priests carrying trumpets, followed by other priests carrying the Ark of the Lord (which symbolized God's presence) and march around the city once a day for six days. As they were marching, they were to be silent! "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out your mouth..." (6:10) Okay, it's not like they were planning a sneak-attack. The guards on the watchtowers would see them and alert the city, and that many people marching around would surely stir up a dust cloud. And why do this for six days and allow time for the enemy to ready for an attack? It seems like a recipe for disaster! And then on a personal level, think how difficult it would be to march around that city, knowing you were going to attack it at some point, and not even whisper to the person beside you! I couldn't do it!

Joshua also tells them that on the seventh day, they would march around seven times, then the trumpets would blow, and Joshua would shout. When they heard him shout, they were to shout back. So, on the seventh trip around the city, the trumpets blew, Joshua shouted, and the people "shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat." (6:20) That's right...those 25 feet high, 20 feet thick walls fell down flat! Can you imagine the reaction of the Israelites and of the people in the city? When the wall fell down, the Israelites rushed in and took the city. They claimed their victory.

I don't know why God required silence for those six days. I can only surmise that, based on the history of these people, God had truths for them - and us - to learn.

• Patience is a virtue - it is also part of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22). It is NOT natural to man. As we draw closer in our relationship to Christ, the more the fruit of patience grows. The Israelites were having to grow patience as they marched and waited seven days before they took the city. I would have been saying, "Come on. Let's get this over with!" But God was having them wait - on Him and His timing. His timing is perfect.
• Self-control is also part of the fruit of the Spirit, and they were having to work on that as well! The fact that they had to march silently for those six days, was an excercise in self-control - holding their tongues, not grumbling, not asking why or when or how come. It also gave them time to reflect on the Lord. Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still and know that I am God." Sometimes we just need to be quiet and meditate upon the Lord and listen to Him. Too many times our tongues are flapping and we can't even hear God.
• Obedience is not part of the fruit; it the vine that grows the fruit. Without obedience there is no fruit in our walk with God. No love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. He desires and even demands obedience to Him and His Word. "...be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." (Joshua 1:8) Obedience is the key to defeating our enemy, Satan, and the key to abundant life on this earth.

God wants us to have self-control, which is really Spirit-control, over our human nature. One of those areas for me is the tongue. How do I gain that control? By patiently being obedient to Him. When those three areas are clicking - patience, obedience, and self-control - I am able to claim the victory in all areas of my life that Christ has already won. Do I have perfect control of my tongue? No, not yet. But I can tell you that I have much more control than before. I am a work-in-progress, and as I march on with Him, He is perfecting me until that time when I will stand before Him, and I am claiming the victories along the way!

Are You Full Of It?...

What is your comfort zone? Everyone has one - that place, either physically or emotionally, where you feel safe and the most comfortable. You may not think much about it until you are moved out of it. Then the uneasy feelings begin to creep in and you react. Some people react by shutting down, kind of like a turtle pulling his head back in his shell. Others react just the opposite, sometimes with a nervous giddiness. Then are those for whom getting out of the comfort zone causes a full-blown panic attack. Most of us are somewhere in between, depending on the day and the situation.

For me, personally, when I am asked or prodded out of my CZ, it usually calls for courage that is more than the daily deal. Sometimes it is courage to Act, and sometimes it is courage to not React!

The seventh and eighth chapters of Acts shows us two examples of men who were moved out of their comfort zone by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. First, is Stephen. In chapter 6, Stephen and six others were set apart by the apostles to serve in a special role in the Jerusalem church. We generally refer to them as the first deacons. The church had grown so much that the apostles needed help with administrative and ministry duties so that they could concentrate on preaching and sharing the gospel. Stephen is described in 6:5 as "a man full of faith, and of the Holy Spirit." and in 6:8 as "full of grace and power who performed great wonders and signs among the people..." We don't know anything about this man before he was selected as a leader in the early church, but those few descriptions in the above mentioned verses tell a great deal.

Notice those verses repeat the saying "full of," thus, the emphasis in Stephen's life is "fullness." In scripture, to be "full of" something means to be controlled by that something. Paraphrased, that would read, "Stephen was controlled by faith, controlled by the Holy Spirit, controlled by grace, and controlled by power." I would say he was on "God-control!" Can you imagine living a life that full of the presence and power of God? Obviously, the apostles saw leadership qualities as well as a ministry spirit in him. So leading in the church and serving the widows may not have been too far, if at all, out of his comfort zone. However, I am going to take a leap here and say that preaching Christ and debating the same group of pharisees and high priests that had called for the execution of Jesus, was out of character for the "Before Christ" (BC) Stephen. He was so passionate in his zeal for the Lord that he was eventually stoned to death. Now that is out of anyone's comfort zone!

Phillip was another one of the deacons called out to lead the church. He is listed in 6:5 right after Stephen. We meet up with him again in Chapter 8, after the church was scattered throughout the regions. Phillip went out to share Christ in Samaria. Samaria would not be in most of these men's comfort zones. Samaria was a region north of Jerusalem populated by "half-breeds." - Jews who had, generations before, intermarried with foreigners from the east. Because of their "impurity," the Samaritans were hated by the Jews. In fact, Jews would travel out-of-their way to avoid passing through Samaria. Now that's bigotry! Remember, when they traveled, they traveled by foot and by caravans. To go miles out-of-their way so as to NOT have to interact with Samaritans, was the norm. Phillip's ministry in Samaria resulted in hundreds of new converts in that region and among non-Jewish people. On his way back to Jerusalem, an angel appeared to Phillip and said, "Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaze." (8:26-40) He obeyed, not having to know the reason or the outcome; he just obeyed. I'd say he was "full" of the Holy Spirit - just like Stephen. On that road, he saw a governmental caravan, and in the main chariot, was a man reading the book of Isaiah. Again, he obeyed the Spirit and caught up with the chariot and asked the man if he understood what he was reading. The guy, who just so happened to be a court official to the Queen of Ethiopia, said he needed someone to explain it to him. So Phil jumps aboard and tells the official about Jesus, beginning with the Old Testament prophecies all the way to His resurrection. The man accepts Jesus and stops to be baptized by the side of the road. Then Phil is miraculously whisked away and lands in another place to begin sharing the gospel.

I don't think I can wrap my mind around the importance and application of these stories. The best way for me to begin to understand is to look at the "what if's." What if Stephen hadn't ventured out of his comfort zone? Well, for starters, he most likely would not have been stoned to death! However, the flip side of that is what happened  because he was stoned to death.  Upon Stephen's death, the new christian church came under great persecution, and "they were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria...Saul [who later is renamed "Paul"] began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison." (8:1-3) As a result, Phillip took the message of Jesus to Samaria, and then, to Ethiopia by way of the court official he "ran" into on the road. Remember, the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. And then, just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He told the disciples, "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."  (1:8) I'd say Ethiopia was pretty remote by their standards!

You see how the Lord took something that was not good - especially for Stephen personally - horrible, and used it for good? You see, we are never left without hope! Even when Stephen was being pounded by rocks until he literally died, he was gazing intently into heaven and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God (7:55) and knew that his death would be used by God for good! God used the horrific persecution of the church and the imprisonment and death of many believers to spread the availability of salvation the the entire world. The gospel spread from it's core in Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth like ripples on a pond. It was accomplished because believers who were full or controlled by the Holy Spirit were willing to leave their comfort zones and tell about Jesus.

I've been guilty of being "full of it" many times. But usually, I'm full of myself! What would God use me to accomplish if I were full of the Holy Spirit, i.e. controlled by the Spirit? If I were willing to leave my comfort zone and go and do whatever, wherever He directs? Only He knows the answer to that, but I have the same hope that Stephen and Phillip had - whatever it is, it will be for good.

I Am Rich!....

I don't play the lottery. But I must be honest and admit that I've thought about it - a lot! I find my thoughts drifting to the possibility of winning thousands or even millions of dollars when I'm paying bills and money is not stretching as far as I need it to. Or sometimes when something big goes wrong with the house or a vehicle, and it's going to take a chunk to fix the problem. Or sometimes when I decide on something I want or someplace I really want to go, and it's just not in the budget. And then there are times when the philanthropic me would love to take care of needs that I see around me or even across the world, but I don't have the resources to do much at all. When my mind dreams about what I'd do with all that money, I always think, "I'll give a bunch of it to the church and mission work!" I really would, but thinking that probably helps clear my conscience! The fact is, I am not sure how having lots of money would change me, if at all.

Jesus spoke about being rich several times in Luke, so it must of weighed on his mind. In Luke 16, he tells of the Rich Man and the beggar. The beggar was at his gate everyday, covered with sores and longing to be fed the crumbs from the man's table. This is the poor man whom the dogs licked his sores! A very pitiful situation. The rich man never acknowledged the beggar, never offered him anything to eat, never offered to clothe him with the clothes his servants were taking to Goodwill, never offered to get him medical attention, never even shewed away the dogs! The poor man died and was taken to heaven; the rich man died and went to Hell. Hell was so torturous that the rich man asked that the beggar be able to come and just give him a dip of cool water! He still didn't get it! Even in Hell, he expected the beggar to serve him - he didn't get that something was so very different between them that they ended up in very different places!

Jesus again spoke of riches in Luke 18. Here he speaks to the Rich Young Ruler who asked what he needed to do to receive eternal life. Jesus recited the Ten Commandments and told him to keep them, to which the rich young man said he had been keeping them all of his life. Jesus then said there was one other thing he needed to do and that was to sell all of his possessions and distribute the revenue to the poor, which would build up treasure in heaven, then follow Him. Wow! Can you imagine what must have been going through the young rich man's mind? He was rich...and had never lacked for anything...could come and go and do as he pleased - just like if I won the lottery! Now Jesus was asking him to sell EVERYTHING  and give away the money. He had been watching Jesus; he must have known the kind of nomadic lifestyle He and the disciples lived - never quite knowing where their next meal was coming from or where they would lay their heads at night. Jesus was asking the young man to make a drastic change! The scripture says that the man "became very sad, for he was extremely rich." Then Jesus said that it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.

At first thought, I can rationalize the stories Jesus told about rich people in one of two ways. One, I am not rich, therefore, I am not the focus of the stories, which lets me off the hook. Second, the stories can stand to validate the view that rich people are selfish and snobbish, and think they are better than everyone else. Accepting either of those, would indicate my own shallowness in my relationship with the Lord. So, I must dig deeper and think broader until the Holy Spirit shows me Truth that applies to me, personally. That's what Bible "study" really is - much more than "reading" the scripture.

Obviously, there is a literal meaning and application of the lesson of the rich men when "rich" means well-off financially. And, there is truth in those lessons. However, I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and that all of it has meaning and application to all people. I can't pick and choose the stories that I want to draw application from. There is something for me in all of His Word, but sometimes I have to study on it a bit more.

Okay, I am not financially well-off, so can I metaphorically be the rich men in the stories? Yes, indeedee! Let's take the first story, the rich man and the beggar. The rich man had a lot, and the beggar had nothing but sores. The beggar came to the gate everyday hoping to receive something helpful from the one who had much. How many people do I pass by everyday who needs something I can give? Attention, a smile, a hug, an ear to listen, a nice word, the gospel. You see where I am going with this. It's not necessarily about money but ministry. I am rich because I know the God of the universe! The Creator of all, the Helper, Healer, Comforter, Provider. the Rock, Forgiver, Redeemer, Salvation-giver! I have everything that "beggar" needs! Yet, most days and most opportunities, I pass right by and never even notice his/her presence.My gosh, even the dogs noticed the beggar and licked his sores!

What about the second story? I, too, try to keep the commandments. But Jesus wanted more than legalistic obedience. He wanted "heart" obedience. He told the rich man to sell all that he had and give the money to the poor. When the man couldn't do that, He said it was easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle than for a rich man to go to heaven. I believe Jesus was talking about what we focus our time and attention on - whether that's money or family, or job, or sports, or scrapbooking, or quilting, or building birdhouses. What is it that we won't give up and instead, put Him first in our lives? The man whose focus or treasure is concentrated on something other than the Lord is the target of this story. I may do all the "things" that I can check off on my offering envelope, but none of those may deal with the condition of my heart. He readily admits that in our humanness, it is very difficult to not focus on something other than God. That's why he added the strange remark about the camel. But when we don't even notice or care that we are out of focus - that's the problem the rich young ruler had and was unwilling to rectify.

All this time, I've been reading those stories about rich people and thinking how "right" Jesus was to concentrate on them. Wow! How small-minded I've been. He has speaking to me and about me all the time because - I AM RICH because HE IS in me! I have won the Lotto!!!

The Art of Obedience...

Since I last wrote about my journey through Genesis, I've moved from Chapter 15 to Chapter 33. That's way more history than I can cover here. I've seen the lives of Abraham and Isaac played out and am in the middle of Jacob's life. God used these three men to create the foundation of the Christian faith. One thing is clear from reading about their lives - they were not perfect! And I am so glad! That gives us all hope and promise that He will use us and our imperfections and missteps to bring about His will in our world and in our personal lives. We don't have to be perfect - just obedient.

Abraham (Abram) was a descendant of Noah's son Shem. We are not told why God singled him out to become the Father of Many Nations, but we do know that Abraham loved the Lord God, and, thus, found favor in His sight. He married Sarah (Sarai), and she was barren for MANY years. God continued to bless Abraham and Sarah and brought them into the land of Caanan and told him that his discendants would possess this land and they would number more than the stars.Now Abe and Sarah were getting on up there in years (much like Zach & Liz from Luke 1) and still, they had no children. Abe talked this over with the Lord on different ocassions - how was he to be the father of many nations when he wasn't even a father of one child? But God kept promising him it would happen.  And, by-golly, it did - when Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was only ten years younger! Now much happened in between including Abe fathering a child, Ishmael, by Sarah's servant. Like I said, he wasn't perfect! But we know that when Isaac was born, Abraham and Sarah were filled with unspeakable joy! God had blessed them and had proven faithful!

Over those years, Abraham learned a lot about what it means to walk with God. He made some serious mistakes along the way, but he never let his mistakes turn him away from following the Lord. Through those years, he also learned about obedience and the consequences of disobedience. He grew into the man who, indeed, could and would be the patriarch of the Christian faith. All of his mistakes, all that sojourning through the countryside, and all the challenges that his life had brought, prepared him for a final test of faith.

God asked Abraham to sacrifice that precious son for whom he had waited so many years. WOW! How could He ask such a thing? It's one thing to sacrifice your best lamb or goat, but it's another thing to give up your only son! Why would He ask such a thing? He had promised that son and had promised to multiply his descendants - he couldn't do that without Isaac.Talk about a turn-of-events that you don't understand! But Abraham didn't even question Him. He just went about being obedient. Now, in the old days, the younger Abraham would have barked back at God much like he did when God told him that Sarah would bear a son. He fell on his face and laughed and scoffed because of their age. But this Abraham was more seasoned in the knowledge and ways of God.

Now, let's stop for a minute and think about this situation. Abraham is walking his only son, the one he had waited many years for, up the hill in order to build an altar and lay Isaac on it and watch him burn to death! What gut-wrenching turmoil must Abraham been going through! Was he arguing with himself, torn between his love for his son and his love for God? He had to be! When that sweet little boy asked "Behold the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?" didn't he want to gather him in his arms and run back down the hill? Sure he did!

Was Abe really willing to go through with what God had asked of him? The answer is yes. He built the altar, then took Isaac and bound him and laid him on top of the wood. He took a knife and stretched out his arm to slay him, but an angel stopped him. I picture this as Abe holding that knife in the air, praying to the Father, and as his hand begins to come down toward the boy, the angel speaks - and Abe is stopped in mid-air. I think that because I think God wanted to see into his heart and know that he was willing to give his very best to Him.

Am I willing to give my very best to the Lord?

He was willing to give His very best to me...in Jesus Christ. And He went through with it! The parallel between this event and the sacrifice of His only son is undeniable. God loves us so much that He called for His own Son's sacrifice to take the place of our own. He watched His Son walk up Calvary's hill and be laid out on that wooden cross and die a horrible death - so that I wouldn't have to. "For God so loved the world (that's you and me) that He gave His only begotten Son (that's Jesus) so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

And just as Abraham was obedient to the point of sacrificing his son, Jesus was obedient to the point of literally giving his life for me. God desires obedience. Obedience allows His plan and purpose for our lives to be fulfilled. Abraham did go on to become the Father of Many Nations and the patriarch of our faith.

What is His plan for me, for you? We will never know all that He has planned for us until we learn the Art of Obedience.Sometimes it may be costly; however, He provides the strength and grace we need to get through it.