Matthew 3:7-8 - Seeker Sensitive?

"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:7-8, NIV)

What I appreciate about Chuck Smith and the Calvary Chapel movement, is that they have sought to present the truths of Scripture without softening the hard parts or overemphasising the easy parts.

In the last few years, I have heard less about the "Seeker Sensitive" movement, pehaps this is because of the rise of the "Emergent" church (little "c" because it is a social organization and NOT the true Church). But one of the hallmarks of both of these movements is that there is a reluctance to call sin what it is and proclaim the holiness of God.

Think about what it would be like to be John the Baptizer. You understand that you have been chosen to call your nation to repentance, you also understand that you have a cousing who is very different and may be the promised Messiah. You understand that the religious system in which you grew up is corrupt. On top of all this, your nation is being governed by an oppressive regime. This is not a good starting place for having a thriving ministry.

Yet, while all this is happening, there is a growing sense of spiritual poverty and people start coming to John to hear his call to repentance and submit to the baptism which is a symbol of that repentance.

While John is baptizing in the wilderness, the Pharisees and Sadducees come to participate. John sees them and calls them out, effectively refusing to baptize them. He is not very seeker sensitive or ecumenical.

To be balanced, I feel I should point out that "hellfire and damnation" preaching, unless it is guided by the Holy Spirit, will only produce external compliance which will only have a temporary effect. So, I do not draw the conclusion that we necessarily need to pound people into repentance from the pulpit.

The conclusion that I do draw from this passage is that we need to teach the Word of God in its entirety without worrying about whether someone is offended. Paul talks about the Cross being foolishness and a stumbling block to some who hear the Gospel.

The response of people is not our responsibility, it is our responsibility to teach truth and to be a witness to the truth.

My confession is that I often hold back from saying something for fear (such fear is never of God) of offending someone. Another aspect of my fear is that someone would (legitimately) come back with the rejoinder that I don't really live out my beliefs very well.

I choose today to be more open in sharing my beliefs with others. May God help me in this endeavor.

John 14:2 - A place for me (and you)

"In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.
I am going there to prepare a place for you." (John 14:2, NIV)

No matter what happens in this life, there is a place for me. I know how the story ends. So, because I have a place, my heart should not be troubled. Along the same lines, later in the same discourse, Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:22, NIV)

This begs a question then as to why do I spend so much energy and time (two precious resources) on finding a place in this world? Why spend time pursuing what will pass away? Why do I get upset when others get promoted or I don't get respect or recognition for my work? Why is it that I so easily loose sight of eternity when caught up in daily living?

Clearly, I am called to maintain an eternal perspective and recognize that God is in control. I need to be transformed by the renewing of my mind as Paul reminds me in Romans 12.

To accomplish this, I need to be so plugged in to Scripture and Prayer that I am pursuing what God has for me and not what I want for myself. So much of my frustration is caused by the Jonah syndrome, not going in the direction that God is leading.

So, my job is to plug in to Jesus, follow his lead and relax and know that it will all come out OK in the end. Easier said than done, but a worthwhile endeavor none-the-less . . .

Zechariah 2:13 - Be Still

"Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy
dwelling.”" (Zechariah 2:13, NIV)

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes." (Psalm 37:7, NIV)

"“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be
exalted in the earth.”" (Psalm 46:10, NIV)

Too often, when I take action, it is for my glory and not for God's. When I am still and allow God to direct, He gets the glory.

I am learning that I don't have to figure it all out. I don't have to have the entire plan mapped out. I need to allow my next step to be guided and then, and only then, does the direction of the step after become important.

"Give us this day our daily bread" is how Jesus taught us to pray. One step, one day at a time.

Nahum 1:5-6 - Holy Fear

"The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him." (Nahum 1:5-6, NIV)

One of the many problems with legalism is that it produces external compliance rather than real change from within. The danger lies in having a "pull yourself up the by the bootstraps" kind of spirituality. It is possible to be externally "holy" and be spiritually dead. Just look at how Jesus describes the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23.

It was as I approached adulthood that I began to learn the how deeply rooted the sin nature is within me. I can be externally complient with all the legal standards and yet be held captive by pride, greed and sensuality.

The verses above remind me that even though I have been saved by the work of Jesus on the Cross, I must not take that relationship for granted. There is a place for fear in the relationship. Because of my love for God, and the nature of our relationship (that of ceature to creator) it is appropriate for me to be fearful of violating his commands for me.

As I write this, two verses come to mind. The first is Philippians 1:6, which promised that Jesus will complete the work in me that He has begun. The second is Romans 8:1 which affirms that I am no longer under condemnation. There is a sense of relief and exultation in these verses. I have been given so much!

So somehow for me, as a believer, I have fear and exultation in juxtaposition and it seems, somehow to be right.

Micah 7:7 - The object of hope

"But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." (Micah 7:7, NIV)

One of the things I love in reading the prophets is every once in a while a verse like this will pop up. No matter how bad things get, one can look to God for stability and hope.

In this instance, Micah is cataloging a list of people who are causing distress in his life. He lists cheaters, oppressors and unfaithful family members as examples. All these were getting him down.

BUT!

Micah reminds himself (and us) that his hope is not in these people, it is in God. In the same way I need to remind myself of this.

How can I be confident and loving in the midst of a difficult circumstance? Perhaps an understanding that this circumstance is only temporary will go a long way toward improving my attitude. Perhaps knowing that God uses the circumstance to mold and shape me and show me my shortcomings, will help. Perhaps the knowledge that God is the only one who will never disappoint me will drive me to his arms, empowering me to respond with grace.

My largest failure in difficult circumstances is in not having an eternal perspective.

Today I choose to watch in hope for my Lord.

Jonah 4:10-11 - I'm Busted

This morning I read several chapters in the book of Jonah. The last two verses of the book pose a challenge:

"But the Lord said, "You have been concerned about this vine, though you did not tend it or make it grow. It sprang up overnight and died overnight. But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?"" (Jonah 4:10-11, NIV)

I am more concerned about my personal comfort than I am about the people around me. While I would like to offer up some instances where I actually had my priorities right, the list would be embarassingly short.

Jesus called me to be a servant, a doulos, a slave, a position which goes against my natural inclination. Slaves understand that they make few, if any, choices about their living conditions or the type of work they do. They have only one job and that is to serve the master.

I purpose today to be one who serves others with a cheerful heart. I purpose today to allow God to watch over and provide comfort to me as he sees fit. I purpose today to be grateful for what God has provided. I also purpose to refuse to consider what I lack. In short, I purpose to focus on God's glory and not my comfort.

John 14:1 - Don't let your heart be troubled . . .

My Bible reading guide has me scheduled to be reading in the OT this morning, but my thoughts are stuck in John 14. Several issues come to mind when reading 14:1.

"Don't let your heart be troubled" is a command; it is in the imperative mood. It is very cool to think that this can be done, but how? We have terrorists, stock market woes, war, productivity gains (layoffs), medical issues, crime, tuition bills . . . the list of things to cause us trouble seems to be infinite. How can I find peace and calm in the midst of all this turmoil?

It is interesting to note that Jesus gives this command to the disciples right after he informs them that he is leaving them, that Judas will betray him, and that Peter will deny him. At the time when these words were being spoken, the disciples did not fully understand what they were going to go through in the next week, it was going to be stressful.

To better understand what they were feeling, imagine that you are having dinner with your boss and friend. The start-up operation that you've been working hard to get off the ground for the last three years is showing promise of paying off big time. The company is about to do an IPO. In fact, recent events show your boss as being the darling of Wall Street. Expectations are high.

But, during dinner one night, your boss informs your team that he is leaving, that the controller will provide company secrets to your competitor and that the director of sales will make public statements against your boss. And, oh, by the way, when the boss leaves, you will have nothing to show for three years of dedication and hard work. And that IPO that was going to help you realize your dreams, it is going to go up in smoke.

Jesus just informed the disciples that everything will change for them in the next few days. And then he tells them to keep their hearts from being troubled. He gives them some reasons to be confident in the second half of verse 1 and the following verses, which I'll write about in subsequent posts.

The purpose of this blog

Just about every day, I read something in the Bible. Almost every time I do, something that I read captures my attention and leads me to thinking. It may be a thought about something in myself that needs to change, it may be an insight to the world around me, or it may be something that makes me understand and appreciate God more. The intent of this blog is to capture and share those thoughts in a concise manor with the hope that someone might be encouraged by my experience.