Christ Defeated the “Goliath” called Sin and Death

“David said to Saul, ‘Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.’” – 1 Sam 17:32. While Saul and his “brave” men cower in fear at the sight of the mighty Goliath, David boldly steps forward to the fight. While reading this very familiar story on Resurrection Day, I am reminded of how David’s defeat of Goliath was foreshadowing Christ’s defeat of sin and death. Sin and death are too great for any of us to conquer. They stand before us, terrible like the mighty Goliath, threatening to slay us. But Christ, the perfect David stepped forward and fought this mighty menace. He defeated sin and death, not with a sling and stone as David did, but through something even more amazing and unconventional – a Cross.

Like David, he says to us today, “Let no one lose heart….” If we love Christ, we should rise each day with confidence – not in ourselves, but in Him, knowing that he has already defeated the enemy that we could not. Alleluia, He is risen. He is risen indeed.

Should I Buy an iPad?

I have been wrestling with this question for well over a year. I see someone holding an iPad next to me, and my first thought is, “I need one of those.” But the reason that I’ve not bought one yet, is because I have been wrestling through whether I really do “need one of those.”

I certainly want one of those. I want the convenience of checking my email on a lightweight tablet rather than my bulky laptop. I want the novelty of being able to manipulate documents, and navigate the web with a simple slide of the finger. I want to be able to take one when I travel to view documents and reports instead of having to carry notebooks full of information. But is all this enough reason to spend $500 or so on a iPad? Would this tool make the Wilsons’ lives better, or would it introduce a new distraction? Would it truly make me more efficient at work, or would it give me one more thing to pack when I travel? Would it contribute to my growth in the Lord, or would it tempt me to idolize it?

I don’t know the answers to these questions, and so…I have not yet bought an iPad. I might decide to buy one eventually. But regardless, I truly pray that God is teaching me to flee thoughtless purchases that satisfy my craving for the new and novel. To those of you who have and iPad, glorify the Lord with it. To those who don’t, Glorify God without it. To those who are considering getting one, be prayerful before you purchase and use His money in ways that are glorifying to Him.

God is Big Enough to Redeem the Worst of Decisions

It was the ultimate act of betrayal – a band of brothers selling one of their own as a slave. The brothers of Joseph sold their own flesh and blood for 20 shekels of silver. One would think that Joseph’s life was practically over. What could God do with a slave? Well, God actually takes this sinful act, and uses it to save the lives of thousands; perhaps even millions. Joseph goes from being slave, to a falsely accused criminal, to a dream interpreter, to second in command of all of Egypt. What an amazing story. But Joseph was not raised from rags to riches for his own benefit. He says to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, “…you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring about that many people should be kept alive.” And Joseph is faithful with this responsiblity, using his position of authority and his knowledge of a 7-year impending famine to save the 70 people in Jacob’s family, preserving the promise that God made to Abraham to make him a great nation.

Joseph’s life reminds us that God is not a slave to the sinful decisions of man. He can take the worst of decisions, and bend and weave them into His sovereign plan We should take heart that God is big enough to redeem the worst of decisions (both ours and others) for our good and His glory.

Why Rebekah?

Abraham sent his servant to look for a wife for his son Issac (Gen 24). The servant decided that he would go to a well, and ask for a drink of water from one of the young maidens. He prayed that the one who gave him a drink, but who also volunteered to get water for his camels would be the woman he should bring home to Issac. What does watering camels have to do with being worthy to be Issac’s wife?

The attitude of Rebekah’s heart was revealed in this act. She could have done only what was asked of her. But of her own initiative, she went beyond that, and offered to serve lowly, smelly camels water as well. This revealed a servant heart that was literally bursting with desire to serve – to go beyond what was asked of her.

This is not a lesson limited to women, but for every person who calls themselves a child of God. We are to be eager servants. We should look for ways to surprise others in the ways that we serve them. And there should be no act of service (even if it is “watering camels”) that is beneath us. “For even the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve….” (Mark 10:45).

Lessons From the Potty

After taking our 4 year old and 2 year old to see Alvin and the Chipmunks at the movies, we headed to a local restaurant for a post-movie dinner. All is going well until my 2-year old daughter asks to use the bathroom. My wife and I instantly give that, “surely you will take her so I can keep eating” look to each other. I remember that my dear wife is the one who has to do this one hundred times a day, so I volunteer to be the sacrificial lamb and take my daughter to use the potty. I’ve never been a fan of public potties, and I usually avoid them at all costs. So, I proceeded to take my little girl to the men’s bathroom, neatly roll out no less than two dozen layers of toilet paper to line every square inch, and try and find a way to sit her on this enormous horseshoe shaped toilet seat (who’s bright idea was that by the way) without her falling in.  I thought about the old “suspend her in mid air” method for a moment – but as a novice to little girls using the bathroom thought I might regret that one. She finishes, and I wash her hands three or four times while saying the whole time, “now don’t touch the potty.”

Upon my return I begin to dive back into my semi-warm burrito when my 4-year old son says, “Daddy, I need to use the bathroom.” The same look is exchanged between my wife and I, and once again I volunteer to do bathroom duty(grudgingly I must admit). Since he’s a boy, I think this will be a much more efficient and less risky trip – until we close the door and he informs me that this is going to be a #2 run. So I repeat the steps you read above, trying to thank God for indoor plumbing and for kids that are out of diapers. I returned to my now cold burrito, when a thought hit me like a ton of bricks. Christ-like joyful servants don’t whine or complain.

These are small inconveniences that I have recounted – small acts of service to my kids. And yet, I blow them out of proportion, as though I am actually having to make a sacrifice for my kids when I do this. A minor inconvenience, an interrupted meal, a so called “gross experience – are these worthy to even be called sacrifices? They are not. Romans 15:3 says, “For Christ did not please himself….” Christ was always looking for a way to please and serve others. His service to others was wholehearted, without grumbling or whining. How I need God to change my heart to one of joyful sacrifice for my wife, my kids, my church, and the world. It’s amazing that God can use the potty to challenge me toward joyful service.

Could Animals Talk in Eden?

As I was reading through the first part of Genesis, it suddenly struck me how Eve did not seemed alarmed when the serpent spoke to her (Genesis 3:2). She seems to answer his deceptive question as though it was nothing unusual for a snake to talk to her. We don’t see any comments recorded like, “How in the world is a snake talking to me?” or “That certainly is odd…a talking snake” (which is what most of us might have said). So could it be possible that before the fall, before sin entered the world that Adam and Eve could talk with the animals in the garden? The Bible doesn’t address this definitively. But it’s fun and interesting food for thought. Perhaps C.S. Lewis’ fantasy world of Narnia wasn’t that far-fetched after all?

Read the Bible for Life

Our life group in church has started Read the Bible for Life in 2012. This is a book written by George Guthrie of Union University that encourages us to be lifelong learners and lovers of God’s Word. To do that he encourages several disciplines – one of which is a plan to read the Bible all the way through in a year chronologically. As my wife and I started this plan on January 1st, we are asking each other thought provoking questions as we read. I thought it might be beneficial to share some of those questions in this format, and even encourage others to post comments that might be helpful responses to those questions.

The Bible is not merely a collection of several little stories all compiled in one book. It is the telling of one story, that “Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost” (1 Tim 1:15). It is the telling of God’s divine rescue plan, revealed one step at a time over the course of many years. From the Garden of Eden to Revelation, God is building a people to worship Him forever. He builds this people through the work of His son Jesus. So, whether is is the story of David and Goliath, or Paul on the road to Damascus, they are all pieces of the greater story of God’s Glory shown most clearly in the work of Jesus Christ.

If you would like to join in this journey here is a link to the reading plan and here is a link to a video that explains more about this journey. I look forward to sharing some of these questions, quandaries, observations and celebrations of God’s Word with you.

 

 

Stumbling Through the Darkness?

“…in Your light do we see light.” – Psalm 36:9.  Today’s headlines on any news network illustrate the darkness in this world. We hear of murders, divorces, frauds, thefts, lies, scandals, affairs, recessions, deaths, and natural disasters. It seems there is no light to be found, and we find ourselves stumbling through this grim abyss, trying to make sense of it all, and trying harder to find a way to escape.

In Psalm 119:9 it is said “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” It is God’s light that allows us to see. We cannot understand anything about life, family, faith, work, or government without the light of His Word. We cannot make our way through the “Sleepy Hollow” of life apart from it. When his light illuminates, we see things as the really are and realize that the things we feared are not really that fearful. When His light illuminates, we see the next step we ought to take, even if we can’t see all the way to the end of the path. When His light illuminates, we can tell the difference between light and dark, causing us to run toward light, and run away from darkness.

Our Good God has not left us to wander in the pitch black of this fallen world. Take up His Word daily, and rejoice in the light that it gives!

Stay Steadfast

“If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” – Prov 24:10. This verse is a call to rally your heart against discouragement in days of trial. Here are some specific lessons this verse reminds us of.

1. The Day of Adversity will come – The verse pre-supposes that there will be days when the cards seem stacked against you. Suffering and trials are part of life in a fallen world. If you are not living in the day of adversity now, it will come eventually. We cannot avoid it, so we should not be surprised by it.

2. Fainting in adversity is condemned –  Our temptation during these times is to give up on life and God. We might assume that God is not good and that he is not in control. The fainting of our faith is not an option. Though the soldiers of our soul seem to be on the run, though we may loose ground at times, we must turn the fight back toward the enemy. We must not loose the field. We must not give up. We must not faint.

3. The “strength” Solomon refers to in this verse is the strength of our faith in God to bring victory. Only God can bring us through days of adversity. Were He to leave us alone, we would certainly faint. The fight is His. He is the great General leading the charge. But we have to trust him enough to surge into battle behind him against thoughts of doubt and despair during hard times.

“…for we know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness.” – James 1:3

Is A Wealthy Legalist Impossible to Save?

Luke 18:18-30

This passage of the rich young ruler is primarily about God making the impossible possible. This rich young ruler was both a legalist and a man in love with his wealth. God uses these two deficiencies in this man to teach us the lesson that both conditions make reunion with God impossible – unless He intervenes.

Impossibility #1 – A Legalist Gaining Eternal Life – v18-22a

• The misguided view of doing – 10
  
  • “What must I do?” We are a “do” type of people. We love to ask this question.
    
    • We want to know what to “do” to save ourselves. – This leads to a “Do it Yourself” Salvation
      
    • We want to know what to “do” to be pleasing to God. This leads to a “Do it Yourself” Sanctification
      
    • We want to know what to “do” to feel good about ourselves. This leads to a “do it yourself” Joy
      
  • We think that doing “good things” makes one “good.” “Who is Good?” “No one is good except God alone.” Our “good” deeds are nowhere close to the true sense of “good.”
    
  • Our example of someone with this attitude – The Pharisee of v9-12 was obsessed with doing. You cannot do enough.
    
• The right view of doing – 5
  

  Lest you hear me saying that we need to do nothing, let me share how we “do” in a way that is pleasing to God.
  

  • What you do cannot save you but is a response to what has been done for you.
    
    • Recognizes what we do is important – but what God can do is more important.
      
    • Recognizes what we do is a response to what God has already done.
      
    • Recognizes the activity itself is not the issue, but the attitude.
      
    • Recognizes we don’t need to stop the doing, but change the motive of the doing. It is not that we stop doing the commandments; we simply do them for the right reasons. A right question for the ruler would have been, ‘teacher, what can I do to show my gratitude for what God has done for me?’
      
    • Recognizes there will always be “one thing we still lack.”
      

Christ does not list the commandments as a prescription to salvation, but as a measuring stick to reveal the man’s utter need for God to do in him what is impossible for him to do himself.

Impossibility #2 – A Rich Man Gaining Eternal Life – Is there any hope for the rich? v22b-30

What this is not saying:

1. Possessions are Evil – Sell Everything you Have
   
   • Examples like Abraham, Jacob, Job, David, Solomon and Joseph or Arimethea proves such is not the case.
2. Selling your possessions is the climax of your Spiritual Journey
   
3. A Single Dramatic Act will impress God
   
4. If you are not wealthy by American standards, this passage does not apply to you.
   

What this is saying:

• Sometimes God calls us to Sacrifice Goods for Him v22
  
  • We can all be more giving to the poor than we already are
    
• Giving to the poor accomplishes nothing if we do not also “follow him.” – v22
  
  • If we only “give” and do not “follow” we repeat the mistake of the legalist
    
• Possessions compete with God on the throne of the wealthy man’s heart – It is difficult for the rich to enter the Kingdom – v24
  
  • We need to be able to put ourselves in the rich young ruler’s place, and say with confidence we would give up anything if God called us to
    
    • The Danger of Taking this to lightly
      
    • The Danger of Taking this to literally
      
• When he calls us to Sacrifice Goods, he will bless our sacrifice – v29-30
  
  • In this life
    
  • In the life to come
    
• It is impossible for the rich to enter the Kingdom apart from God’s Grace – v26
  

We’ve looked at two conditions that make it impossible to inherit eternal life – being a legalist and being wealthy. But God can make the impossible, possible. If you are His, He has saved you not because of what you have done, but in spite of what you have done. You and I are the Wealthy Legalist. Let’s take a moment to thank Him for doing for us what we could not do for ourselves.