Saturday, January 27, 2018

Touching Base

Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, Lord my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.

-- 1 Kings 8:28

Depending on how you look at it, the introduction of text messaging was one of civilization's greatest advances (or setbacks) in the history of communications. If we want to touch base with someone--whether they're on another continent or on the other side of the room--all it takes is just a few taps on a smartphone, tablet or computer keyboard. 

One downside is that an entire generation now knows little about writing and receiving actual letters and postcards. And a check of our mailbox (the real one by the driveway) proves the point. The volume of first class mail delivered by the post office, such as stamped letters and greeting cards, has fallen since 1998. Text MessagePrinted direct mail advertisements, better known as junk mail, are its replacement. Meanwhile, over 6 billion text messages are now sent each day in the United States, and 81% of Americans text regularly.

Our preferred methods of communication continue to evolve through popular social media such Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. But there's another communications medium that's remained steadfast for centuries. It's prayer, which is talking to God about what's going on in our life, our problems at home and at work, concerns with our loved ones--and just about anything else--both trivial and substantial. Our Creator wants us to tell him about it.

But that's just half the story. That's because prayer is a two-way conversation where we're both talking to God and also listening to what he has to say. That might sound strange, but it makes perfect sense. If we're asking God for his help and direction, don't we want his response?

This raises an important question: If we're seeking God's response to our prayers, how do we know when he's answering? 

First, God speaks in many forms--but never in a way that contradicts his Word in the Bible. We can perceive his message through that small inner voice that tells us the right thing to do in an unexpected situation. God also speaks through Bible study, a situation at home or at work, daily circumstances and even that chance meeting with a friend you haven't spoken with in years. Was that unexpected late-night phone call or text message just a coincidence? Not necessarily.

The key to hearing God's voice is knowing how to listen. So with this in mind, we should set up a regular time each day to speak with him, and feel free to continue the conversation, whatever the hour.

"I call on you, my God, for you will answer me," we read in Psalms 17:6. "Turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."

Like any good message--text or otherwise--our prayers to God don't have to be formal, just authentic. Let's open our eyes and ears--as well as our heart and mind--and listen to all that he has to say.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

The Real Deal

Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

-- John 4:23

For many tourists in New York City, buying a fake Rolex watch or Gucci handbag from a street vendor is as big a part of their trip as visiting the Empire State Building or taking the Staten Island Ferry. Picking up a bargain is always fun. And who knows? Your friends just might glance at your bling and think that you paid for the real deal.

However, it turns out that buying counterfeit goods is hardly a harmless diversion. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) reports that 2.5 million jobs have been lost to fake products. And in developing countries alone, counterfeits account for $125 billion in lost tax revenue and additional welfare spending. And the damage doesn't stop there. Microsoft recently found that 39% of the media sold on eBay was counterfeit and another 12% was tampered with in some way. Many of the parts in our nation's warplanes have been exposed as cheap knock-offs manufactured in China. Likewise, there's also a huge problem with counterfeit pharmaceuticals--like anti-malaria drugs--that have proven to be lethal. Malaria is curable. But the medications for treating it must be real. As the Bible warns us in Proverbs: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."

There are obvious parallels between Rolexthe dangers of counterfeit goods and God's warnings about idolatry--or what we might call fake worship. When it comes to buying clothing, jewelry, medicine--and even aircraft parts--we're often quick to look the other way and settle for cheap imitations. The truth is that we idolize expensive luxury goods. But we'd rather not pay the true price for the real thing.

This comparison is no exaggeration. After all, an idol doesn't have to be a literal golden calf like the Israelites worshiped in Old Testament times. Instead, idolatry is anything that means more to us than following God and his true ways. It's also settling for the illicit rather than the real thing. For example, pleasure is one of God's gifts that we can easily idolize. But the message from the entertainment industry is that if it feels good, it's OK to do it. And society has largely taken the bait. Watch almost any popular TV show or movie these days and you'll see destructive behaviors and lifestyles that God expressly condemns. Adultery and other prohibited relationships are no longer considered scandalous. We're told that they're "private" situations where no one really gets hurt. But if Christ-followers dare to say otherwise, they're likely to be branded as intolerant, bigoted or narrow-minded. After all, the advocates of "progressive" behaviors ask, "What does the Bible have to do with living in the 21st century?"

In fact, God's timeless message through the Bible reveals that things haven't changed when it comes to illicit relationships and the destruction they render. Just as our ancestors did centuries ago, we'll often look the other way to accept and justify our behaviors and those we fear to offend. Yes, we might claim that we want God in our lives. But the fact is that we also want him to make room and share the throne of our heart with what's cheap and second-rate.

This approach is totally unacceptable to God. He holds a jealous love for his children and wants only the best. Therefore, sharing us isn't an option. To fully acknowledge his love, we must turn away from our false idols--the counterfeit things, attitudes, behaviors or people--that hold us back from the true worship of our Creator. It's when we change our priorities and focus on God that we can experience the real deal

Let's accept nothing less.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Crossing the Delaware

So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided."

-- Genesis 22:14

Now that much of the nation has experienced some of the most frigid temperatures in recent history, it's only appropriate that we look back at some of the coldest--and bleakest--days of American history.

Let's turn back the clock to December 1777. General George Washington's exhausted Continental Army had set up its winter camp in Valley Forge, PA, after a year of battling the British. The situation was grim for the 12,000-man rag-tag force. What's more, Washington was also under attack by members of Congress, who disliked his strategic choices and lack of success on the battlefield. Some were even advocating his removal as head of the American army.

With food, clothing and ammunition in extremely short supply, Washington wrote, "...that unless some great and capital change suddenly takes place...this Army must inevitably...starve, dissolve, or disperse..."

And a great change would indeed Washingtontake place. According to the eyewitness testimony of a Valley Forge resident, Washington was alone and on his knees in prayer in the woods. The tired general called aloud for God's help--and not just for his army's dire plight--but also for all of humanity and the world. The witness recalled that he was astonished at the power and earnestness of Washington's prayer. "We never thought a man could be a soldier and a Christian," he said. "But if there is one in the world, it is Washington."

The rest, as they say, is history. In the darkness of Christmas night, Washington and his army crossed the ice-choked Delaware River to attack and defeat the Hessian mercenary force hired by the British. The news of America's surprise victory spread quickly and reinvigorated its fading war effort.

The eyes of our fledgling nation were on George Washington. And it was in the most difficult of circumstances that the general sought God for help. But what about Christ-followers today? When we face seemingly insurmountable odds, do we seek worldly solutions? Or do we trust that God's way is ultimately the right way--regardless of the price?

Rather than the British, it's likely that our 21st century adversaries are unbelieving co-workers, neighbors or even family members. Your supervisor might want you to shade some sales figures so the department will look good to the rest of the company. Or your spouse might tell you to fudge the tax returns for a bigger refund. After all, who would ever know the difference?

When the spotlight is on us, we need to expect opposition. And that's when we need to ask God for the power to trust him and resist the temptation to compromise on what we know is right.

Doing things God's way can be costly--and particularly uncomfortable--when it seems like the world is watching. But such situations can actually be opportunities for demonstrating that our faith is much more than mere words. It's this kind of faith-in-action that honors God. And when we seek to honor him, he will seek to honor us.

Saturday, January 6, 2018

American Idol

"Cursed is anyone who makes an idol--a thing detestable to the Lord, the work of skilled hands--and sets it up in secret." Then all the people shall say, "Amen!"

-- Deuteronomy 27:15


There's an old saying that in battle, you'll never find an atheist in a foxhole.

Maybe there's a grain of truth in that observation--and perhaps a whole lot more. After all, is there really such a thing as a full-fledged atheist--someone who doesn't worship any god? The truth is that we all worship something in one way or another. God has even hard-coded this intense longing into our DNA.

Christ-followers worship the true God American Idolrevealed and proven through the Bible. On the other hand, man-made religions promote false gods, ancestor-worship and even the reverence of living things or nature (worshiping the creation rather than the Creator). And then there are today's popular teachings such as New Age, Scientology and Kabbalah. It's a very long list.

Even those who claim to be strict atheists are in fact active worshipers. True, they may not be devout churchgoers who proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Savior. But they--like everyone--bow down at the altar of their favorite idols. Some worship money, luxury and pleasure while others emulate intellect and higher learning. And still others kneel at the altar of more negative gods such as alcohol, drugs and illicit relationships.

So it's true that there are no atheists on the battlefield. But there's a different type of battle that rages each day within everyone: the God of the Bible who struggles every day against the world's gods and idols. And it's our hearts and souls that are the prize of this eternal conflict.

Perhaps you and I don't literally kneel and worship before a golden idol as recorded in the first book of the Bible. But let's recognize that we secretly (or maybe not-so-secretly) cherish our own personal gods. Think about the things you worry about or sacrifice your time and money for. What are the issues that make you angry? What brings you the most joy? And here's a revealing question: Whose attention and applause do you most crave?

If the answer to each question doesn't involve God, you're likely worshiping an idol. And idols can be difficult to recognize through the smoke and confusion of spiritual warfare because they're experts at camouflage. Sometimes that idol can be as close as the bathroom mirror. And even apparently good things--like a career--can evolve into a "god thing." It's then that they're unmasked as personal idols.

It's particularly important for Christ-followers to remember that the real God--the God of the Bible revealed in person through Jesus Christ--refuses to share his glory with any false god or cheap idol. We therefore need to reflect on the God (and gods) in our lives. And then we must choose the one to live for and serve.

Let's be thankful that our God guards a jealous love for each one of us. In fact, he loves us so much that he let his own son suffer the death penalty in our place so that we could become his children and heirs. That means as children of the King, an incredible inheritance awaits us if we're willing to accept his authentic, precious gifts of forgiveness, love and grace.

Accept no substitutes!