THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 4, 2008
Election Day
Today is election day. The privilege and responsibility of voting is ours in this nation; so is the responsibility to continue to serve Christ in a Christlike manner, regardless of the outcome. It’s nice to be on the winning side, when it comes to elections, but it’s not necessary to have religious freedom or good government in order to serve God. Millions have proven that through the ages, sometimes at the cost of their lives. The call to discipleship is a call to suffer for the name of Jesus when necessary, and to avoid the corruption which tempts when power or privilege are thrown our way. Whatever the circumstances, we will serve Christ.
Pray that God’s will would be accomplished in America, today. Pray that those who honor Him will be honored with favor by the people, that godly laws and initiatives would be passed and upheld and ungodly ones defeated, that winners and losers alike would be gracious in triumph or defeat, that there would be the courage to stand for principles, regardless of the cost. And thank God that we live in a nation where we have a vote and a voice. As we end this forty-day Daniel fast today, we put our trust in God, completely, and we resolve to serve Him, no matter what.
Pray for:
*Wisdom when voting (and that Christians would vote)
*God’s will to be done in our nation
*Grace for everyone
*Courage to serve Jesus, no matter what
Daniel 3:13-18 (fiery furnace)
Daniel 6:10-23 (lion’s den)
Acts 5:12-42 (commitment, we must obey God rather than men)
THE PUZZLE,
Dave Ness
November 5, 2008
Psalm 37
This whole psalm is a proclamation of the Lord’s faithfulness to His people. There is no reason to doubt Him! In promise after promise, God tells His folks to hold steady, and in the end they will inherit the land, be given the desires of their heart, etc.
This psalm is a psalm of solace for those who feel they have been disenfranchised (such as in yesterday’s elections). God reminds us that we need not fret, even if evildoers seem to be winning. We are to trust in the LORD, and do good. (Ps 37:3) Other things? Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Ps 37:4) Commit your way to the LORD (Ps 37:5). Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him (Ps 37:7)
With each admonition comes a promise. God does not want His people to give up, give in to worry or even be discouraged!
Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever. (Ps 37:27)
Most of all, we hang onto God.
We are God’s children. Because of that, we will miss out on some of the blessings of the world, and none of the blessings of God. We have to remember, though, that the majority of God’s blessings appear at the end, not the present time. That’s why we need to exercise patience as we wait on the Lord.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 6, 2008
Psalm 42
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV)
We don’t generally see much spiritual transformation until there is a hunger and thirst for God. Sadly, we usually stop short of that. Political victories, prosperity, a little power, or even just some relief from painful circumstances, and suddenly we’re fine; we no longer feel a need to draw closer to God. Momentary gratitude for the blessing, then the pursuit of God stops, as we become enamored with our blessings, instead of pressing on toward the heart of God. My good friend Carl says it this way: “We’re as close to God as we want to be.” That’s so true.
Spiritual transformation starts with a hunger and thirst for God, and even the craving itself is a gift from Him. Methods, programs, evangelistic campaigns cannot transform souls; only God can do that.
We need a desire to draw close to God, in America. I’ve not seen too much of it, in my lifetime. There are lots of people who want to go to heaven, who faithfully support their church, etc., but the passion to draw as near to God as possible here on earth seems spotty, at best.
We don’t get to choose our emotions, but we do get to choose our actions. Emotions have a way of following actions. Repeatedly in this psalm, we are reminded to do things like “hope in God,” remember His deeds and praise Him on purpose. These are actions which help to counteract the plaguing questions like, “Where is your God?” Actions which help us to come closer to our Lord, such as prayer, praise, worshiping with others, help to cast off doubts and produce the feelings of “closeness” to God which emotionally charge us. Something always happens when we actively seek God: We find Him.
I’ve never seen our nation so enamored with the thought of a savior as they seem to be, now. Unfortunately, for many, that savior is not Jesus Christ. Where do we fit? We are people who are hungry and thirsty not just for “answers,” but for God. When we come close to His heart, it’s not just to gather up as many blessings as we can hold, but to know Him and love Him, to be content in His presence, to walk in fellowship with Him. Our world needs to see some people who have found a Messiah who does not disappoint.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 7, 2008
Psalm 46
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:1-3,10-11 (ESV)
There are several reminders of the immensity of God’s power in this psalm. We are also reminded of His presence: The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Ps 46:6-7)
Verse 10 is another reminder of what will happen: “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” It’s going to happen!
There is a fear right now in America which I’ve never seen before, in my lifetime. It extends from global issues to personal ones, and everything in between. There is a sneaking suspicion that some things we’re facing will be beyond the ability of any government to address, no matter who is in charge of it. Lurking barely in the shadows are financial troubles on a worldwide scale, challenges to our national sovereignty and our personal safety, the loss of freedoms, violence or war out of control, the further unraveling of the institutions which have held society together. There are fears of the kinds of cataclysmic events prophesied in scripture, yet never before witnessed on earth—things like the mountains being “moved into the heart of the sea.”
We’ve been pretty big on pride, in America, for many generations. There just hasn’t been much that Yankee ingenuity couldn’t handle. We’ve been a “can-do” country, which has not experienced famine or occupation by an enemy. When have we really gotten to the end of ourselves, with no more resources, no more fight to apply to the challenge at hand? When have we been confronted with something which was too much for all of us, put together? We may find out!
If and when we do, this is what needs to happen, in the United States: God’s people need to put their trust in God (as opposed to the military, the economy, the president, etc.), and God’s people should determine not to give in to fear! Is there a reason this psalm mentions something so extreme as mountains being moved into the sea? Yes. What it is saying is that no matter how extreme or frightening the events taking place around us, we will not fear! Why? Because God is our refuge and strength.
Stonewall Jackson was a general for the Confederacy, but a devout Christian. His example in battle earned him his nickname; while others were fleeing in retreat, he sat astride his horse, immoveable, like a stone wall. The inspiration of their leader refusing to give way to fear emboldened his troops. Anybody can act unafraid when things aren’t scary! It’s when the experts have run out of options and the hardened soldiers are in full retreat that the calm individual stands out. Let me tell you something. These are excellent times in which to be a witness for Christ! We don’t have to have answers for everyone’s questions or solutions to the many problems of our world. All we need to do is not give way to fear; that alone is a powerful witness!
Put your faith in God. He is our refuge and strength, and He is here with us.
In days to come, we will stand out as belonging to God, merely due to the fact that we are not afraid when others are. We will be His witnesses. Our peace will be one of the biggest signs that our trust is in God, not in ourselves. That peace is going to look very good to some in the world who have run themselves out of options. They will be looking for one that works. This one does.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 10, 2008
Psalm 50:14-23
and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
But to the wicked God says:
What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that the I AM was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”
Psalm 50:14-23 (ESV)
It’s hard to avoid the bite in this passage, as God confronts those who hate discipline and cast His words behind them as they brazenly break His commandments, even as they recite them! Here is just a glimpse of the wrath of God. Meanwhile, those who offer thanksgiving as an honorable sacrifice will be rewarded. Humility and gratitude will not go unnoticed. Neither will sin and slander.
In America, we have generally not been faced with difficult choices, when it came to serving God. With so many religious freedoms, choosing to honor God has seldom resulted in real persecution; in fact, usually the opposite has occurred, as society tended to reward those who would sincerely serve Jesus. Things are changing, though. This portion of Psalm 50 reminds me far too much of the election campaign just concluded. Slander and evil speech flowed freely for months, even as some who seemed to exult in immorality simultaneously invoked God’s name whenever it seemed advantageous.
For those who choose to deliberately forget God (yet call for His blessings), the warning is clear, from the Lord Himself. But notice whom it is that He promises to deliver: The one who offers the “sacrifice” of thanksgiving. That’s precisely what thanksgiving is for us, at times, a “sacrifice.” We don’t feel very thankful, it’s hard to come up with reasons to rejoice, yet we open our mouth and give praise to God, anyway, as a sacrifice. God notices!
Thanksgiving has become a neglected holiday, in recent years, passed over in favor of Christmas, which generates commerce. As Christians, let’s not skip Thanksgiving! We may have to work at it a little, especially when various circumstances aren’t quite as favorable as in previous times. But when we deliberately bring to our God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, He is glorified in our lives. That needs to happen! Thanksgiving is up to us.
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (Ps 50:14-15)
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God! (Ps 50:23)
We’re supposed to be those who remember to say “thank you.” Let’s do it!
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 7, 2008
Psalm 46
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:1-3,10-11 (ESV)
There are several reminders of the immensity of God’s power in this psalm. We are also reminded of His presence: The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Ps 46:6-7)
Verse 10 is another reminder of what will happen: “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” It’s going to happen!
There is a fear right now in America which I’ve never seen before, in my lifetime. It extends from global issues to personal ones, and everything in between. There is a sneaking suspicion that some things we’re facing will be beyond the ability of any government to address, no matter who is in charge of it. Lurking barely in the shadows are financial troubles on a worldwide scale, challenges to our national sovereignty and our personal safety, the loss of freedoms, violence or war out of control, the further unraveling of the institutions which have held society together. There are fears of the kinds of cataclysmic events prophesied in scripture, yet never before witnessed on earth—things like the mountains being “moved into the heart of the sea.”
We’ve been pretty big on pride, in America, for many generations. There just hasn’t been much that Yankee ingenuity couldn’t handle. We’ve been a “can-do” country, which has not experienced famine or occupation by an enemy. When have we really gotten to the end of ourselves, with no more resources, no more fight to apply to the challenge at hand? When have we been confronted with something which was too much for all of us, put together? We may find out!
If and when we do, this is what needs to happen, in the United States: God’s people need to put their trust in God (as opposed to the military, the economy, the president, etc.), and God’s people should determine not to give in to fear! Is there a reason this psalm mentions something so extreme as mountains being moved into the sea? Yes. What it is saying is that no matter how extreme or frightening the events taking place around us, we will not fear! Why? Because God is our refuge and strength.
Stonewall Jackson was a general for the Confederacy, but a devout Christian. His example in battle earned him his nickname; while others were fleeing in retreat, he sat astride his horse, immoveable, like a stone wall. The inspiration of their leader refusing to give way to fear emboldened his troops. Anybody can act unafraid when things aren’t scary! It’s when the experts have run out of options and the hardened soldiers are in full retreat that the calm individual stands out. Let me tell you something. These are excellent times in which to be a witness for Christ! We don’t have to have answers for everyone’s questions or solutions to the many problems of our world. All we need to do is not give way to fear; that alone is a powerful witness!
Put your faith in God. He is our refuge and strength, and He is here with us.
In days to come, we will stand out as belonging to God, merely due to the fact that we are not afraid when others are. We will be His witnesses. Our peace will be one of the biggest signs that our trust is in God, not in ourselves. That peace is going to look very good to some in the world who have run themselves out of options. They will be looking for one that works. This one does.
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 10, 2008
Psalm 50:14-23
and perform your vows to the Most High,
and call upon me in the day of trouble;
I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.”
But to the wicked God says:
What right have you to recite my statutes
or take my covenant on your lips?
For you hate discipline,
and you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him,
and you keep company with adulterers.
You give your mouth free rein for evil,
and your tongue frames deceit.
You sit and speak against your brother;
you slander your own mother’s son.
These things you have done, and I have been silent;
you thought that the I AM was one like yourself.
But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.
Mark this, then, you who forget God,
lest I tear you apart, and there be none to deliver!
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me;
to one who orders his way rightly
I will show the salvation of God!”
Psalm 50:14-23 (ESV)
It’s hard to avoid the bite in this passage, as God confronts those who hate discipline and cast His words behind them as they brazenly break His commandments, even as they recite them! Here is just a glimpse of the wrath of God. Meanwhile, those who offer thanksgiving as an honorable sacrifice will be rewarded. Humility and gratitude will not go unnoticed. Neither will sin and slander.
In America, we have generally not been faced with difficult choices, when it came to serving God. With so many religious freedoms, choosing to honor God has seldom resulted in real persecution; in fact, usually the opposite has occurred, as society tended to reward those who would sincerely serve Jesus. Things are changing, though. This portion of Psalm 50 reminds me far too much of the election campaign just concluded. Slander and evil speech flowed freely for months, even as some who seemed to exult in immorality simultaneously invoked God’s name whenever it seemed advantageous.
For those who choose to deliberately forget God (yet call for His blessings), the warning is clear, from the Lord Himself. But notice whom it is that He promises to deliver: The one who offers the “sacrifice” of thanksgiving. That’s precisely what thanksgiving is for us, at times, a “sacrifice.” We don’t feel very thankful, it’s hard to come up with reasons to rejoice, yet we open our mouth and give praise to God, anyway, as a sacrifice. God notices!
Thanksgiving has become a neglected holiday, in recent years, passed over in favor of Christmas, which generates commerce. As Christians, let’s not skip Thanksgiving! We may have to work at it a little, especially when various circumstances aren’t quite as favorable as in previous times. But when we deliberately bring to our God the sacrifice of thanksgiving, He is glorified in our lives. That needs to happen! Thanksgiving is up to us.
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and perform your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me. (Ps 50:14-15)
The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God! (Ps 50:23)
We’re supposed to be those who remember to say “thank you.” Let’s do it!
THE PUZZLE
Dave Ness
November 11, 2008
Romans 13:11-14
The Church and the Snooze Alarm
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake up from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14 (ESV)
Well, it’s over. Election Campaign 2008 was epic in numerous ways, including its outcome. Once again every single candidate for whom I voted lost, and every initiative I cared about went the opposite direction of what I wanted. It’s what you get when you live in a state the opposite-color from your own views. I’ve just had to get used to it. What has been harder to get used to is the reaction of the Church to the election cycle. Every four years, the buzz begins among the evangelicals about what needs to happen, who needs to be elected, and how bad it’s going to be if the ungodly get their way. The frightened Church lumbers into action, and usually manages to vote into office a leader or two on the national scale who said the right things to convince them they would be safe to practice American-style Christianity for a few more years. While they’re at it, they vote down some of the worst of the initiatives threatening to chew up more of the social fabric. The Church awakened is a pretty awesome spectacle! When Christians get scared enough to actually consult God about things, rather than relying on their own good judgment, miracles happen (and campaign managers take the credit). And then what happens?
Zzzzz. It’s the sound of the Church in America, at rest, thankful to have avoided another close call, confident that because “somewhat more biblical” or “somewhat less pagan” triumphed at the ballot box, we should be O.K. for a while. How many times in the past several decades have we hit the snooze alarm? Jesus wanted His Church to be awake, and we were, briefly, until we decided it was alright to catch a few more z’s. “Wake us up if you need us to vote on somebody, Lord.”
Ahh. Things may be different, this time. America voted for “change” in a big way; I think we’re going to get it! In fact, change, in bewildering, frightening quantities, may be the very thing that keeps the Church from nodding off again into the apathy zone to which we’ve long been accustomed. After all, how much praying has the average Christian done about matters of state after the elections of the past? How many times have we assumed it wasn’t our job to get personally involved in public service at any level, and at the same time expected our views to prevail at the ballot box?
God bless each American who prayed and voted their conscience on November 4. Now that the election is over, it’s time to...what? Gripe? Fix blame? No. We’ve tried that, before. It’s not helpful. Go back to sleep? Not that, either. Every time we wake up, more of the culture is gone. I would contend that our first job, following this election of 2008 is to stay awake. Let’s pay attention to Jesus, let’s be open to however He wants to use us, let’s remember to pray for our newly elected leaders at all levels of government, just as scripture instructs us to do. (Check out history, to see what kind of leaders they got to pray for in New Testament times! Hint: Not good). Let’s serve Jesus with a Christlike attitude after the election, this time, rather than flopping down in a corner and drifting back to sleep until the next one rolls around.
How do we stay awake? Of the many jobs I’ve tasted, several were graveyard shift. When you spend the night transferring five truckloads of groceries to store shelves, falling asleep is not an option! It’s hour after hour of constant motion, wading through aisles strewn with cardboard. The challenge for my eyelids came after work was over, sitting in a 7:30 A.M. seminary class, listening to a lecture on theology. I have notebooks from those days where my sentence begins in awkward handwriting, then trails off into a flat line which goes off the page! Try as I might, I couldn’t stay awake once I stopped working.
The lesson? If we’re going to stay awake, we’d better find what it is the Lord wants us to do, and keep doing it until He tells us otherwise. The snooze alarm habit is not a good idea, nor is just telling ourselves not to fall asleep, again. We need to do something. I’m remembering what the Bible says about there being plenty available for each of us to do: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (Eph 2:10)
Good works don’t get us to heaven (God’s grace does), but good works are a good way to get things done! They are also very helpful in staying awake. What would our Lord have us do, now that the elections are over? I’m pretty sure He doesn’t want us hitting the snooze alarm and going back to sleep.
The Puzzle, November 12, 2008
How to Repent
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51:1-17 (ESV)
David’s psalm is like a manual on how to repent. Written in the aftermath of his sin with Bathsheba, it offers us a clear plan for how to go to God when we have failed miserably and need His forgiveness. It starts out with calling out to God for mercy, acknowledging our guilt, confessing our sin as sin (without justifying it), acknowledging our sinful nature. We ask for God’s cleansing and for His forgiveness. We ask for Him to make us new, inside. We express a desire for fellowship with God. We promise to praise Him.
It’s interesting that after all these things, it says, THEN I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. (Ps 51:13)
How many times have we presumed to fastforward to this, without going through the steps of true repentance? We’re going to teach transgressors all about God’s ways, and evangelize like crazy, when we haven’t dealt with the sin in our own lives! It doesn’t work that way. It’s like it would have been, had David tried to do a little evangelizing to make up for his uncovered sin with Bathsheba, prior to repenting. He wouldn’t have seen much fruit! We’re not going to see sinners flocking to God or wanting us to teach them His ways, if we’re sitting on secret sin, trying to ignore the need for repentance, ourselves.
Here’s the sacrifice God wants: a broken spirit and a contrite heart. (v. 17)
The Church needs to repent. We keep expecting sinners out in the culture to come to a knowledge of God, fall on their faces and repent, then look us up so we can teach them how to serve God, and we wonder why it’s not happening! They need an example in repentance. They need to witness the transformation that comes when people come absolutely clean before God, when they allow Him to change and purify their hearts. It doesn’t happen without humility; the Church in America has been pretty short on that quality for quite a while. When the Church has done its repenting and confessing, and we make up our minds to praise God, when we’ve brought the sacrifice God wants—a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, then we’ll have something to say to the rest of the world! Not until.
The Puzzle,November 13, 2008
What Draws God
We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We recount your wondrous deeds.
At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
when the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars.
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’
For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
but it is God who executes judgment,
putting down one and lifting up another.
For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
Psalm 75 (ESV)
What draws God? Humility. He loves to find humble people who are busy praising Him, so He can lift them up. He also is not reluctant to put down those whose inflated egos need adjustment, even if they think they are world rulers. I love the reminder in Psalm 75 that the “lifting up” and “putting down” which takes place is at the behest of God, not man. There is also the solemn portrait drawn of the cup of God’s wrath, ready to be forced down the throats of all the wicked of this world, one day. We really do need to decide whose side we’re on!
One day our Lord will judge this earth with equity. Until then, the quickest way to get a divinely engineered “put down” is boastfulness, and the fastest way to get a “lift” from the Lord is humility and gratitude. This is a pretty easy plan! We humble ourselves before God, focus our attention on praising Him and thanking Him, and let Him deal with the wicked. He will. The wrath of God is coming their way.
If we will boast in God’s strength and not our own, if we refuse to be swayed by the wicked, if we discipline ourselves to thank and praise God, no matter what, in time we will be totally vindicated by God. He will “lift us up.” Give thanks to God, recount His wondrous deeds, sing praises to Him. Humility—it draws God.
The Puzzle, November 14, 2008
Little Problems and Big Decisions
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. Acts 6:2-7 (ESV)
With growth comes problems—in this case, the Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) being neglected in the daily distribution. The way the Early Church handled this problem was absolutely critical to the future health of the Church. Let’s look for lessons!
What were the options for the apostles?
Option A. Have one of the apostles oversee the distribution, to make sure it’s done right. He could be the “food apostle.” He might not be that good at it, but at least he’s already highly respected.
Option B. Since there are so many people, this might need to take all the apostles, in order to really do it right. Another little hitch here: they’re going to have to learn Greek, in order to be qualified to be apostles, now, since that’s a lot of the problem—these people speak Greek! (Funny—in order to be an ordained minister in our time, one may be expected to learn Greek, which presents a struggle for most who become ministers and a burden for those who are regularly reminded that their minister learned it).
Back to the original apostles. They’re taking Greek, so as to be able to adequately oversee the food distribution, they’re needing to learn management techniques so they can do it right, and there’s not so much time left for prayer or preaching. The Hellenists are still complaining, because it will be a while before their needs are really adequately met by people who can understand them, and now complaints have started to arise from those who resent the fact that the apostles, who used to just wait on God and preach and pray and tell marvelous firsthand stories about being with Jesus don’t have very much time for that, anymore. The Church is starting to resemble a consumer-driven social agency, they say—it’s all about giving people what they want, physically, and it hardly even seems like church, anymore. And the apostles have gotten grumpy! The Church is no longer growing like it was. Nobody is enjoying it like they were before. The joy seems to have departed from the Church.
Option C. They could have had an all-church conference to figure out what to do. They might have ended up with some favoring putting the apostles in charge of it, and some who didn’t agree with that idea, leaving the apostles with the option of having folks upset with them, regardless of what they did.
Option D. They could have done what they did—have the group choose some men for the task (seven men with Greek names and good reputations), while the apostles went back to focusing on prayer and the ministry of the Word.
This was a little problem, but a really big decision! Had the apostles taken any option other than the one they chose, it would have been a loss for the Church. As it is, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, what they did was exactly right. And they even ended up with Church growth!
The Puzzle,November 17, 2008
Three-talent Frustrations
And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose... (Seven men with Greek names). These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. Acts 6:2-6 (ESV)
The apostles not only dealt well with the food distribution issue; they also did an excellent job in communicating their reasoning to the whole Church. It wasn’t that they were too good to wait tables or didn’t want to do it; it was because it wouldn’t be right. The reason it wouldn’t be right is because it would mean giving up preaching the word of God. This not only made sense to the whole group; it pleased them.
The apostles, rather than using their own authority to pick out seven stewards, left it up to the other disciples. The criteria given was not “experience in food service administration” or business acumen or popularity, but “full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” “Food service” was optional. The people chose them and presented them to the apostles, who in turn prayed and laid hands on them. The end result was that the apostles kept doing what Jesus had commissioned them to do, unhindered by administrative hassles. The needs of the Body were met, people who had wisdom and the Spirit were given responsibility that challenged them, and the Church continued to multiply. Not only that, but two of the Seven ended up being incredible evangelists, as well as being skilled in administration. One became the first martyr of the Church.
It could have all been different, had the Early Church taken a different approach! Had the apostles left off the emphasis on preaching, teaching and prayer, in order to become administrators, I think the results would have been tragic. What they did, instead, was to keep the emphasis on Christ rather than on the institution of the Church, by allowing the spiritual leaders to be spiritual leaders without burdening them with organizational administration, as well.
How is it that we have strayed so very far from the Early Church example, yet have come to consider it normal? Most pastors I know are under a groaning weight of administration, whether they want it or not. Some want it, as it gives them control over the congregation they serve. Many have been trained to actually see themselves as “CEO” of “their” church. Few seem to have much time for prayer, so many are the demands of the congregation which is paying them to lead them, yet expecting them to also feed them fresh and powerful spiritual food.
Once in a while, we come across an individual who can just do it all—an energetic spiritual life, the ability to preach and teach, a great capacity to multi-task all sorts of administrative duties while maintaining a profound spiritual ministry—and it all just seems to work, for them. And since we’ve witnessed, or at least heard of it being done, that expectation is then placed on less gifted mortals, and another perfectly good pastor faces a life of frustration, a three-talent steward in a five-talent position. Meanwhile, two-talent administrative people never called to preach sit glumly on the sidelines, bemoaning the failure of their minister, and wishing they could somehow have gotten “a good one” who knew how to do the job right.
How was it in the Early Church? Those called to focus on prayer and teaching were able to do just that, without also needing an MBA. People gifted in administration who were Spirit-filled and mature were selected to serve in administrative positions, to make sure things were done well, and fairly. If they also happened to be gifted in preaching, they did that, too. I don’t know how to make it happen in a Church encrusted with expectations which have been locked in for centuries, but is there some way we could move back toward the Bible?
In Acts 6, it was vital that the apostles continued to preach and teach about Jesus, rather than be dragged into administrative duties, because there was no New Testament! At this point in time, none of the New Testament had been written. All the people had to go on was the testimony of those who had been with Jesus, who could relate His teaching and His example to others. What an utter tragedy that would have been if an administrative glitch had been allowed to dampen that continual testimony!
We, at least, are in possession of the New Testament scriptures. Still, I think it a tragedy that people called to preach the Gospel end up spending so much time in administrative duties and so little of it in talking about Jesus. When they do preach, their audience is mostly those already familiar with the Gospel, who are looking more for an interesting new spin on it than the vital basics. The Church is bored, the pastor is overwhelmed and frustrated; the world still doesn’t know. Something wrong with this picture? It’s not going to get much better until we each start to fulfill the unique ministry to which He called us, and decline the rest.
The Puzzle, November 18, 2008
Wesley’s Way
Horace Traubel
“There is not, on the face of the earth, another nation (at least, that we have heard of) so perfectly dissipated and ungodly; not only so totally ‘without God in the world,’ but so totally setting Him at defiance. There never was an age, that we read of in history, since Julius Caesar, since Noah, since Adam, wherein dissipation and ungodliness did so generally prevail, both among high and low, rich and poor.”
This is how John Wesley described his native 18thcentury England. Wesley spent very little time in decrying the darkness; he devoted his life to building Gospel fires. Teamed with his hymn-writing brother, Charles, the Wesley’s let God use them to spark a revival in Great Britain which changed the course of history.
The earliest days of the revival were confined to a dozen or so Oxford students meeting several evenings a week, in a group they called “The Holy Club.” Following his Oxford days, John Wesley ventured to the American Colonies to try to bring hope to the Indians in Georgia; he came home defeated and miserable, but along the way met up with a group of Moravians who inspired him to search for a deeper holiness than he had known. An epic spiritual transformation took place in the lives of both Wesley’s in 1738, which launched the powerful message of holiness in a kingdom sorely lacking in even the desire for it. John Wesley preached concerning this experience of heart cleansing in the Anglican Church, of which he was an ordained minister. He usually only got one chance. His journals from those days cheerfully record the experience of being asked “not to return,” in church after church.
Meanwhile, more power accompanied his preaching than he had ever before experienced. At the urging of George Whitefield, Wesley tried “field preaching,” an idea originally distasteful to him, and quickly went from reaching recalcitrant hundreds to receptive thousands. From the start, the buildings would not have contained the crowds who came to hear Wesley, anyway. (The largest crowd of his lifetime, estimated at 32,000, clearly heard a 70-year-old man without amplification preach the Gospel to them.) Wesley’s 5 A.M. meetings drew thousands! He preached day and night, sometimes seven times in a day, once 23 times in a week. He wore out horses all across England, traveling some 250,000 miles on horseback in his lifetime. God used John and Charles Wesley to change their nation! Multiplied thousands began to live for Christ. Society was so powerfully transformed at the grassroots level that some historians agree that the Wesleyan revival is what spared England from the bloody revolution endured by France, following that same time period.
One of the most striking features of the Wesleyan Revival was its endurance. Throughout history, most revivals have been short-lived, with visible results lasting only a few years. The Wesleyan Revival was still going strong at the time of John Wesley’s death, in 1791. Meanwhile, the American revival termed “The Great Awakening” was powerful, yet brief. In a matter of a few years, the flames had mostly gone out. Fellow Oxford student and Holy Club member George Whitefield had been a prominent figure in the American awakening, which took place very nearly the same time as the revival was taking hold in England. One lasted a few years; the other, decades. What made the difference?
Though there are other factors, the key difference was that Wesley methodically organized those who responded to his message into “societies.” More than just “small groups,” these cells functioned at multiple levels of cooperation, commitment and transparency. Far from being a spectator event, those admitted to the groups were queried weekly on their devotional habits and spiritual life, with each expected to give a testimony to the others as to the condition of their soul. Assignments were handed out for visiting the sick and for training the children. People spoke of the temptations they had overcome and of opportunities to do good. New converts were added regularly to the groups. These weekly society meetings were crucial to the long-lasting effects of the Gospel upon the people. When Wesley visited a town which had ignored this practice, he remarked, in disgust:
“I was more convinced than ever, that the preaching like an Apostle, without joining together those that are awakened, and training them up in the ways of God, is only begetting children for the murderer. How much preaching has there been for these twenty years all over Pembrokeshire! But no regular societies, no discipline, no order or connection; and the consequence is, that nine in ten of the once-awakened are now faster asleep than ever.” (Wesley’s Journal, 8/25/1763)
Our nation may not be as far gone as Wesley thought England was, but we need the same thing: an awakening. And it seems the best way to stay awake is to stay awake, together, however that looks in America, in 2008.
The Puzzle, November 19, 2008
The Transfer
incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
I will open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter dark sayings from of old,
things that we have heard and known,
that our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children,
but tell to the coming generation
the glorious deeds of the LORD, and his might,
and the wonders that he has done.
He established a testimony in Jacob
and appointed a law in Israel,
which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,
that the next generation might know them,
the children yet unborn,
and arise and tell them to their children,
so that they should set their hope in God
and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;
and that they should not be like their fathers,
a stubborn and rebellious generation,
a generation whose heart was not steadfast,
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Psalm 78:1-8 (ESV)
Whose responsibility is it to transfer the spiritual heritage to the next generation? It sounds like it’s ours. We can pray and hope for God to just break into society and smack people with the truth of His Gospel, but He doesn’t usually do it that way; He uses parents and grandparents, instead.
It’s also clear that what we are to pass down are God’s exploits, not ours. We often get that backwards. We make sure our posterity knows every little thing we have done or thought that we consider important, but neglect to relate those times when we were absolutely helpless and God came through and saved us. Then we wonder why they’re not thrilled with the idea of cherishing our memories for us.
This psalm details God’s exploits among the Israelites throughout their history, up to that time. It obviously was meant to be instructional for those who had not yet been born, and a reminder for a nation which needed to not forget.
I think we underestimate the importance of gratitude. Gratitude brings the blessing of God, whether it flows naturally or we have to work at it, some. It must bless God especially to see us relating to our young ones just how good He is, how faithful, how much we desperately need Him. If it’s sincere, they’ll catch it; if our gratitude is forced, they see that, too, and learn not to be impressed.
For seventy-two verses, the psalmist proclaims the glories of the God of Israel. Our nation has about as many reasons to rejoice and be thankful as ancient Israel did! What would happen if just the believers among us spent some disciplined time in conscious recollection of His exploits? Would it matter? Would it change hearts, especially young ones?
The cynical nature of our society has made it seem hopelessly stupid to do things like give praise and honor to God for anything at all. To recognize His hand in our affairs is to acknowledge that maybe we don’t hold all power, ourselves. “How quaint.” That’s the kind of reaction we get—and that’s from our friends! The reaction we get from God is different. It’s the praise people who get His commanded blessing! It’s also the praise people who tend to successfully transfer the jewel of the Gospel to a new generation, when those who are more subdued in their recognition of “the Man Upstairs” often raise young people with even more casual attitudes toward Him.
What if we went all out and thanked Him, catalog-style, starting with the earliest settlers and down through the decades of American history, then broke off into our own individual saga of God’s grace? And what if we wrote it down, or at least said it out loud? And what if the kids heard us? If we did it right, with whom would they be impressed when we got done? Us or God? Probably both, if the focus was on God and not ourselves.
Psalm 78 is that kind of whirlwind trip through Israelite history. It was written down so people wouldn’t forget what God had done for their nation. Somebody needs to write a psalm for Americans. But whether we have one or not, we need to focus on thanking Him for what He has done, remembering His deeds, transferring not just the information but the love to a younger generation. Letting them see a genuinely grateful heart is maybe the best way to get it passed down.
The Puzzle, November 20, 2008
Looking Up from the Bottom
they have defiled your holy temple;
they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
Psalm 79:1 (ESV)
Asaph’s people had gone over a cliff. The Israelites had been overcome by their enemies, stripped of their glory. The devastation was so cruel that birds fed on the unclaimed bodies around Jerusalem, a city laid waste. The temple was defiled, their nation was in ruins. Neighboring countries taunted the broken Israelites. The psalmist Asaph cries out to God on behalf of his people.
What I find interesting is that despite the devastating circumstances, Asaph has the good sense to focus on God. He had to have been tempted to give in to bitterness; he didn’t. Listen to how he ends Psalm 79:
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
from generation to generation we will recount your praise. (Ps 79:13)
Doesn’t sound very bitter, does he! An attitude like that is the one to have, especially when the alternative is despair.
Just today, our stock market hemorrhaged another 445 points on the Dow Jones average. It’s the latest installment in a series of thuds, as our economy has been falling down the stairs for weeks. We’d like to think we’re at the bottom, now, with nowhere to go but up, but that seems wishful thinking, despite the fact that the stock market has dropped to its lowest level in ten years.
Yesterday, the Big Three automakers were petitioning Congress for a bailout package, to avoid bankruptcy. I remember the old adage, “As GM goes, so goes the nation.” Although we have not been taken over by a physical enemy, our nation is in a mood which borders on despair, even as many put their hope in a president-elect who hasn’t even taken office, yet, but whom they hope turns out to be a savior.
So, it’s bad, but Asaph had it much, much worse. It’s one thing to lose half your retirement nest egg; it’s quite another to see loved ones killed before your eyes, as your entire country is overthrown.
What was Asaph’s response? He chose to give thanks to God, even after his nation had been laid waste.
What’s our excuse? And what should be our attitude, in times like these?
This is what we do: We give thanks to our God, just like we talked about, yesterday. We discipline ourselves to focus on Him, not on our problems.
But we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
No matter what happens in our world, we are the people of God. We belong to Him. If we keep our eyes on Him, we’ll be O.K. He makes sure of it.
The Puzzle, November 21, 2008
Turn Us Again
Psalm 80:3 (ESV)
Turn us again. This is the literal Hebrew phrase in a request repeated several times in Psalm 80, with slight variations. Psalm 80 is another psalm of Asaph, written when times were tough—as in really tough. Israel had been overthrown. It seemed all was lost. They needed saving, and they knew it.
It seems that people generally have to come to the end of themselves before they are willing to repent. Seldom do you find someone who just does it because it’s the right thing to do; it usually takes a crisis. The Israelites had their crisis, if having your entire nation ravished by the enemy qualifies!
Asaph does the right thing. Repeatedly he cries out to God. Wisely, he doesn’t just focus on “Why don’t you come and save us?” “Don’t you care?” etc., but three times in this psalm pleads, “Turn us again, O God.” The idea is repentance, but it’s also keyed in on the fact that repentance is a gift from God, not just something we decide to do whenever convenient. In order to turn around, we’re going to need God’s help! We also need to respond to His help when it comes, but first, we’d better go to Him and ask for it. Have we done this, in America? The sad answer is, “No, we haven’t.” We haven’t done much of any of it—the seeking God humbly and asking Him to turn us around, the repentance required to make the actual change, the acknowledgement that without the Lord we can’t do anything at all. Where is all this, in the Church in America? I’m not seeing much of it.
I think the main reason America has not turned around, spiritually, is that we haven’t wanted to. We haven’t asked God to turn us around—we’ve sometimes asked Him to turn others around, but it’s not the same. When He has brought us to a point of personal repentance, we’ve been quick to refocus on someone else’s more odious sin, and we have rationalized our own. When various crises have brought us low, we’ve looked to God just long enough to survive the situation, then gone back to self-dependence. We’ve waved off God’s help so many times! We’re like the person who tells their loved ones, “Now don’t let me do this” (get fat, sleep in, start smoking again), yet snarls at them if they try to intervene as they were asked.
We’re too much like the Chesapeake Bay Retriever I used to have. My dog, Cooper, was strong, stubborn and sometimes stupid. The first time he met up with a porcupine, it took four men to hold him down to get the quills out. Months later, a rustling sound in the trees got both our attention. I saw what it was, about the same time Cooper made a break toward it at full speed. Yelling “No! No! No!” at the top of my lungs, I tried to head him off, but he was determined to wreak vengeance on porcupines once and for all. He ran all the way around me in order to get to it, ignoring my warnings and my futile attempt to turn him around. Unsurprisingly, a crash and a series of yelps soon followed. I stalked off, muttering to myself, “Get your own quills out this time, you stupid dog!” (Somehow, he did).
We’re just like Cooper. We rush headlong into sin, ignoring the shouted warnings of everyone who cares about us and knows better. When we get it into our heads that we want something, we won’t let God Himself turn us! We’ll run all the way around Him to dive into Satan’s latest scam. Then, when the pain and humiliation hits, which it always does, we want God to remove the painful consequences, as if it were His fault we were hurting! This is when we hear lines like, “If God loves us, why would He let this happen?!” Free will has its downside.
For years I’ve been saying that America was heading toward a cliff, and whether we went over it or not was going to be up to us. I think we’d better ask God to “turn us” before it’s too late, both on a national level and an individual one. When He answers our prayer to turn us, we need to submit to Him. Don’t ask for God’s direction unless you’re planning to go that direction. And the very idea of “turn us” means we’d better be willing to part with our own old plans, or we’re not serious.
When He obliges and helps us avert the cliff, we need to stay turned toward Him. We need to stop the evil habit of charging around Him in order to get what we want, even while He is warning us of the danger.
What’s the verse about not being stubborn like the horse or the mule? (Ps 32:9) We need to be those who follow God even when we’re not at the bottom, looking up, or sporting a nose full of quills.
The Puzzle, November 24, 2008
It Starts with Listening
Hear, O my people, while I admonish you!
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.
“But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.
Oh, that my people would listen to me,
that Israel would walk in my ways!
I would soon subdue their enemies
and turn my hand against their foes.
Those who hate the LORD would cringe toward him,
and their fate would last forever.
But he would feed you with the finest of the wheat,
and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”
Psalm 81:8-16 (ESV)
Oh, that my people would listen to me, that Israel would walk in my ways! Three times in this psalm, God refers to His desire that His people would listen to Him! Is that so hard? Apparently, so.
Here is our tendency. We listen to one another, instead of to God. Strange gods are allowed among us. I’m not talking about trying to stamp out other people’s religions—I’m talking about not protecting our own hearts from bowing down to foreign gods. I’m talking about openly praising God, as it speaks about in the first few verses of Psalm 81.
The result when God’s people refuse to listen to Him is this: So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels. Maybe this doesn’t sound like punishment, but consider where our own counsel gets us! Meanwhile, God promises that if we’d just listen to Him, He would take care of our enemies, plus fill our mouths with the very best He has to offer. Sound like a good deal? It is!
What’s the catch in all this? There is no catch. All we have to do is listen to God, put away our foreign gods and walk in God’s ways. He does the rest. An unbelievable turnaround would take place in our society if we just did those three things!
What were they, again?
1. Listen to God. Take counsel from Him, not from one another or from strange gods.
2. Put away our foreign gods. Don’t worry about other people’s religion; we are to purify our own! Give praise to the one true God, and Him only. Put away from your life everything you know is not pleasing to Him.
3. Walk in His ways. What are they? We find out when we do the first thing—listen to Him. One of the best ways of hearing His voice is by reading His Word, the Bible. Let Him speak to you through its pages. Then just do what you know He wants you to do. That’s walking in His way.
This world seems to be getting scarier by the minute! Where do we fit, in it? We’re God’s people. We just need to act like it. It starts with listening to Him.
The Puzzle, November 25, 2008
COYOTE SNACKS
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
Ecclesiastes 4:9
Do you know what they call animals that venture out alone in predator country? Snacks!
That’s what the devil calls Christians who operate solo, and don’t need anybody else: Snacks. The “independent sheep” attitude—the one that scoffs at accountability and thinks groups are for sissies—is a very effective way to get yourself chomped. Satan knows there’s nothing like the taste of a proud but lonely Christian who doesn’t even think there is a devil.
THE BUDDY SYSTEM OR THE DROWNING SYSTEM
In the days of swimming at the lake, our very first rule was the buddy rule—you had to have a buddy or you didn’t swim. Your buddy didn’t have to be a great swimmer, or even a good one—he just had to be your buddy. When the lifeguard blew the whistle, everyone grabbed hands with their buddy and thrust them in the air. All across the swimming area, hands were raised together, pair after pair. If the whistle blew, and you weren’t hanging on to somebody, you were in trouble! Swim time was over for you. Why? It was just too dangerous, with splashing bodies everywhere, to assume that no one would get in trouble, or that if they did, the lifeguard would immediately spot them and respond in time. In order to be safe, we needed not only a lifeguard to rescue us if need be, but a buddy to keep track of us every minute. It was either the “buddy system” or the “drowning system”! Everybody needed a buddy. It was the law of the lake. Some of us were lousy swimmers, but no one ever drowned at our lake.Would that the same could be said for the church. Every few days it seems another one goes under. Often they’re “strong swimmers,” too often pastors or high-visibility leaders. Sometimes they even drown attempting to rescue another poor soul who was crying for help, so the gallant spiritual lifeguard dove in to save them, and never came back. Show me a church where there aren’t any bodies floating around, and I’ll show you a very small church—or a wonderfully unusual one! None of these folks intended to go out and drown. Their intent was to grow in Christ, to minister to other people, to enjoy the “abundant life” promised in scripture. The reasons they were swimming alone are many: “It’s easier, this way;” “Fewer restrictions;” “Church just wasn’t meeting my needs;” “I wasn’t getting ‘fed’;” “Not everyone is spiritually mature enough to handle this, but I’ve been a Christian a long time and I can;” “I didn’t want to be hurt anymore, so I withdrew;” “My relationship with God is strong—I don’t need anybody else.”
I could go on and on, but you get the idea. People don’t usually set out on their own because they prefer it that way—it’s just easier, or less painful. And often, the initial feeling is one of freedom and excitement, kind of like running away from home when you’re five. It takes longer for reality to bite you when it comes to spiritual stuff. Satan knows not to spook his prey by jumping out of the bushes while the rest of the crew are still within sight. He usually lets us get a long way down the road, plus make a few innocent wrong turns, prior to making any appearance at all. Even then, it will almost always be as an angel of light: a ministry “opportunity;” a new “friend” who brings us a mixture of excitement and danger, along with a rationalization for why that relationship is O.K.; a numbing fatigue brought on by ministry success. All I can say is, “Watch out. There are a lot of dead bodies out there. I don’t think it was ‘natural causes.’ ”
Simon Peter (who ought to know) gives us an apt warning: “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
There you have it, from someone with bite marks. News flash! You have an enemy! And he’s not kind!
What do we do, then, wait until our “number is up”? No. We team up. I’m tired of feeding the lion! Way too many of my friends have already been victims of his cowardly attacks. They’ve lost their ministries, their families, and even more; they got nothing in exchange except heartache. Those who managed to crawl home still bear many scars. They had thought they were pretty strong and capable. They had seen themselves as independent. What the enemy had seen was “snacks.” Don’t feed the lion. Get thee to a group. You don’t want to end up on the lion’s breath. And it looks like, long term, it’s either the “buddy system” or the “drowning system.”
The Puzzle, November 26, 2008
A God-given Partner
“So, what kind of group? Isn’t belonging to a church enough?”
In a word, “No.” It’s important to belong to a church, but you also need a buddy, and you need to be part of a group small enough that if you turned up “missing,” they would look for you. Can’t find one? Start one. It’s that important.
I’m not asking you to be a small group guru; all I’m asking is that you find a buddy, and start with someone of your own gender, in growing together spiritually. A “group” of two is just fine. Like at the swimming hole, it’s not necessary that you’re a perfect match in terms of knowledge and experience; what’s important is that you have someone. What’s less important is who it is. (Please follow the safeguard of only teaming up with another person of the same sex—Satan does not overlook opportunities to turn what started out as innocent into mass destruction). Is it really that important to have a partner? For some of us, time constraints have always made it next to impossible to maintain more than a casual acquaintance with anybody outside our immediate family—and some have gotten to the point where even the relationships within their family are almost on the “casual acquaintance” level, if we’re talking about the amount of time spent together! I can hear a million pastors saying, “I don’t have time for a buddy! (Plus, I don’t really want one).”
Buddies can definitely crimp your style, take your time, and all that. Like college roommates, they’re inconvenient, sometimes obnoxious, and the relationship can be quite one-sided. (And, like college roommates, a perfect stranger can rapidly turn into a lifelong friend).
Is the fellowship worth the dirty socks? Is having a buddy worth the time you know you’ll have to wrestle away from other important things?
For someone who has traveled way too much of this journey solo, this is hard to say, but I think it’s true: I need a buddy. I’m going to be as bold as to say I think you need one, too.
You’d have to know me to know how much it goes against my nature to need anybody. I grew up on a South Dakota farm, where our nearest neighbors lived a mile away. I didn’t really know what it was to have a close friend until I was in college. On the farm, the attitude was always one of self-sufficiency—we didn’t ask for help; we figured it out and did it ourselves. To say I grew up as a loner would be an understatement. Fortunately, this existence didn’t even really feel that lonely, because I was constantly aware of God’s presence. My growing up years were a non-stop stream of communication with God.
For the above reasons, and some more besides, I can identify with Elijah, the prophet. Months at a time with no one to talk to but God and the ravens—Elijah seemed a poor candidate for being anybody’s “buddy,” or needing or wanting one. Yet, in the aftermath of an astonishing victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah’s self-proclaimed enemy, Jezebel, caused the prophet to run for his life. Then, in the midst of overwhelming fatigue and pressure, the prophet decided he was done with life. He was so tired and depressed he just wanted to die.
Step by step, God met each one of Elijah’s needs. And one of the needs was for a buddy. God knew Elijah needed a partner. At the time of Elijah’s greatest discouragement and depression, God gave him Elisha. If Elijah ever again experienced serious depression, we don’t know about it. Coincidence? I doubt it.
Elisha didn’t come to Elijah, asking to be mentored. Elijah went to him, not the other way around. Elisha was accepting of the relationship, but it began with the one needing the friend. When it comes to seeking out a partner, it will usually require us to take the initiative on our own. It’s worth it to have a buddy—especially if it helps prevent something like the too-familiar story we’ll revisit, tomorrow.
The Puzzle, November 27, 2008
TAKE SOMEONE WITH YOU
Maybe it’s because he’s my namesake, but the story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 has always haunted me. I don’t like it. I don’t like to read it, yet I’ve read it dozens of times. The whole thing scares me, and I think it’s meant to. If King David, “the man after God’s own heart,” can suddenly take this kind of spiritual dive, what does that say to people like me, who have no giant’s shields on our walls and didn’t even write the 23rd Psalm? If David can fall like that, what kind of chance do I stand, anyway?!
Ironically, some of the best advice I can find was written by a son born to David and Bathsheba, who himself became king of Israel:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one... If one falls down, his friend can help him up. I’m trying to picture David with a buddy. At first it seems a little far-fetched, since it must be particularly hard to have buddies when you’re king, considering the level of power you have over everyone, but I suddenly recall a buddy David actually did have, at a time when both of them already wielded considerable power: Jonathan.
On more than one occasion, Jonathan proved his friendship to David, even at great risk to his own life, not to mention displaying an astounding degree of humility, for someone in line for the throne. David and Jonathan’s unlikely friendship set a kind of standard for friendships for all time.
Repeatedly, these two looked out for one another, honored each other. At one of the lowest points in David’s life, Jonathan managed to find him and “helped him find strength in God.” (1 Sa 23:16) As long as Jonathan was around, David always had someone to whom he could turn. David always had God, but Jonathan was the man who helped David keep closer to God than he would have been without that special human friendship.
Tragically, David lost Jonathan, killed in battle. Not only did David lose his best friend, but he has also lost his own vigor and youth. Now David is middle-aged. When the army marches out to the battlefield in the spring, for the first time David watches them go, and remains behind at the palace.
One regrettable afternoon, what begins as a stroll on the roof triggers a chain of unbelievable events. It starts with lust, but quickly escalates from one sin to another. The king of Israel blows past all the warning signs and dives in to adultery. When it backfires, he summons all his power and wits to attempt a cover-up. By this time he is willing to arrange the death of one of his most loyal men in order to try to save his reputation. In time, it all comes crashing down.
How could this happen? How could a man so strong in his faith, so close to God, fall so fast and so far? David didn’t memorize the 23rd Psalm; he wrote it! How do you get closer to God than that? How could he now be penning Psalm 51? Sitting in the wreck of his spiritual life, David truly repents. His relationship with God is restored; all the promises are still his. But the king’s earthly existence will never again be the same. The direct after-effects of his departure from God’s path haunt the rest of his days. Could this chapter in David’s life have been somehow prevented, he would have been spared so much heartache and tragedy.
Could it have been prevented? A valid question! If I could keep what happened to my hero and namesake from happening to me, I’m interested!
This was a set-up, no doubt, but it certainly was not God who laid the trap. It takes no imagination at all to know who arranged all of this. The enemy of our souls seeks to kill and destroy. His trail is always covered with misery and blood.
So, do we sit around and hope it’s not our turn to face Satan’s planned destruction for us, or is there something useful we can do which might help us in escaping his snare? “Pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up,” wrote Solomon. Had his father’s best friend, Jonathan, still been around, would David’s sin with Bathsheba have ever occurred? It’s still possible, but I can’t help thinking it would have been much more unlikely. Jonathan was such a good influence on David. They seemed to bring out the best in one another.
I like to think that if Jonathan had still been living, even had he not been physically present, the mere existence of their strong bond would have been enough to help David somehow escape the temptation. And if the king had invited his great friend to go with him for a walk on the rooftop, I simply can’t imagine David falling into Satan’s trap, that afternoon. Friends don’t let friends ruin their lives! Would they both have fallen? Hardly a chance. When it comes to Satan’s attacks, “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
The Puzzle, November 28, 2008
Finding a Jonathan
I wish Jonathan would have been there. Had David’s friend still been on the scene, I don’t think the events of 2 Samuel 11 would have ever happened.
Jonathan wasn’t there. David doesn’t seem to have ever replaced his close friend with another. David’s sin resulted in tragedy for numerous lives affected, particularly his own, and some chapters in our Bible which are painful to read—and also profitable. What should we be learning from 2 Samuel 11? That we might as well give in to temptation, since even the very best blow it, eventually? Since God forgives, sin isn’t really that big of a deal?
Those aren’t the lessons, at all! David’s story is a reminder that God does forgive, and David’s response when confronted by Nathan the prophet is a model of how to repent when you have fallen, but the lessons I think we are to learn from David’s scars are more preventative than remedial. How do we avoid falling into the devil’s traps? I think that’s something God wants us to learn from David.
A number of lessons come to mind, but I’ll only mention two. The first is how illustrative this story is of a principle I first heard from my former pastor, Dr. Paul Cunningham: “Sin always takes you farther than you intended to go.” Once David knowingly crossed the first line, there was no stopping until he’d gotten to the bottom. It probably began with a rationalization—something on the order of, “I’ll just send for her, so we can become better acquainted. There’s no harm in that...,” and before he knew it, he’d broken nearly all of the Ten Commandments, including the one about murder. He’d never intended to go that far down a dark road! We never do. Sin always takes you farther than you intended to go. It’s a principle to remember.
Another lesson which stands out to me from this sad episode is, “If you’re going up on the roof, take someone with you.”
There’s a difference between solitude and a solitary life. Solitude, while posing some dangers, is actually necessary for spiritual growth. Some of us can handle a lot of it, others only a little, but there are places you can’t go, spiritually, in a crowd—it just doesn’t happen unless you’re alone with God.
Solitude can be sweet (Ask any mother of small children, who never has any); a solitary life is different. One living a solitary life may be in contact with hundreds of people in a given week, but none of them are ever invited or allowed to go past a surface relationship with that individual. He lives alone in the crowd, even within his own family. And that’s really dangerous.
With Jonathan gone, David seems to have become a solitary individual, known by thousands of people, head of the royal family, king of Israel, yet without a true confidant. With no one to turn to, anymore, David relies increasingly upon himself—a mistake. His spiritual life also seems to slip into neutral. The drift is never toward God, is it?
David stayed home from the battle because it was thought he would be safer. He had no idea in how much danger he was, alone on the palace rooftop. With no one to watch his back, Satan brings down the king of Israel with one well-placed shot. I wish Jonathan would have been there.
Do you have a Jonathan in your life?
Better be the same gender. Does that make such a difference? Only if you don’t want to endanger everything in your life! Think about it. Maybe what David was telling himself as he watched Bathsheba was, “Look! God sent me a replacement for Jonathan! Someone who will understand me, someone I can talk to like I did him. Good-looking, too! This must be an answer to my prayer.”
Do you want the names of well-intentioned people throughout the ages who have decided to adopt someone of the opposite sex as a “friend” in order to “help them,” spiritually, who subsequently ended up as spiritual casualties themselves? Usually, a family or two also ended up in the discard pile. Leave it to Satan to take pure spiritual intentions and turn them into disaster for all, but he’s been doing it for thousands of years, and he’s gotten rather good at it. Don’t fall for the bait. Your name doesn’t need to be in that long list of casualties. There are a lot of people you would be wise to avoid, when it comes to deep friendships—like about half the population of the world, if you have already made a pledge to someone in marriage. Establish the deepest kind of friendship you can with your spouse, if you have one. For other close friends, pick somebody from your own gender. Even then, use caution. But please find yourself a buddy. It’s worth the effort. And if you’re going up on the rooftop, take them with you.
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Lord, I’m coming to you because I know I shouldn’t be swimming alone. I want to honor you, and one of the ways I can do that is by choosing a buddy. I need your help, Lord! Please direct me.
The person I’m choosing for my buddy is:____________________. If this doesn’t work out, I will keep praying and trying until I find a partner.
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Dave Ness
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