The Puzzle, December 2, 2009
Starting Over
Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him. Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’” John 3:1-7
Nicodemus was in a bind. He realized Jesus had to be from God, yet to acknowledge this would be to lose his position in the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. He wanted to know more, but didn’t dare make his inquiry in public. He came to Jesus by night, thinking this was a safe way to gain information without losing his spot in society. What he didn’t realize was that a person can never gain the Kingdom of God and keep their place in the world. We have to start over.
The principle of spiritual transformation is STARTING OVER. That’s it. Instead of taking a society of fleshly human beings and educating them or prospering them into some sort of positive change, the only real answer is in them being born again, and starting over, this time as people born of God’s Spirit. We start over, or there’s no change. The only one who can transform lives is Jesus.
That’s why we need to lift up Jesus. We need to look to Him as our ONLY hope! We need to stop calling it “conversion” when people haven’t been born again, they haven’t started over, and they haven’t even been asked to. We must be born again, this time of the Spirit, rather than the flesh. And we need to learn to operate by the Spirit, instead of starting out with the flesh, then trying to make it spiritual. Only the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
So we start over. We relinquish all our fleshly gains, humble ourselves before God, and begin anew with Him. This time, instead of the self-made man or woman, we are born of Him, and belong to Him. We’re spiritual, not because we logged so many hours in religious instruction, but because we’re born of the Spirit. The rub is being willing to start over! Nicodemus had a lot to lose: Great political influence, reputation, economic status. As a Pharisee, he had made a career out of keeping the Law. He knew the scriptures like few others. But to even get into God’s Kingdom, he still had to start over. So do we. We must be born again.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 3, 2009 (Adapted from original, May 29, 2004)
A New Old Model
Where can we find a model which would point us in the right direction for the Church of today? It’s pretty hard to top the Early Church. What was unique about them? Here are just a few observations:
–The Early Church were servants of Jesus Christ, and not much else.
–Christianity was not something they practiced on rainy weekends, or where allowed by law. When they became believers, it changed everything in their lives— and sometimes ended their lives! Death-defying commitment was considered normal, for them.
–They were exclusive, yet inclusive. The Gospel and the love were for everyone–even their enemies, but the fellowship was reserved for those who were committed believers, and “none of the rest dared join them.” (Acts 5:13)
–They focused on making disciples instead of “converts.”
The contrast to the Church in America is painful. It’s obvious that we need something “new,” yet “old,”where:
–Lives are actually changed, and everyone can see the difference.
–People have a deep-seated commitment to God and a mutual commitment to one another.
–Discipleship is an expectation.
–The focus is on the Lord, rather than the organization or the pastor.
The Church in America is not doing very well, these days. There’s a lot of dissatisfaction and hurt. Much of it has to do with how far removed we are from the focus and the mentality of our forebears in the Early Church. They had problems, too. They faced incredible obstacles, yet God used them to transform their society. Our current ineffectiveness is directly tied to our lack of commitment and discipline. The more we move in the direction of the old model of Christianity, the more our results will resemble theirs. This new idea of part-time Christian commitment isn’t working. We can throw all the money, advertising, church growth techniques and technology we want at our society, but they won’t budge, spiritually, until they witness lives which have been shockingly changed by Jesus, forever. When luke-warm, gripy Christianity is replaced with death-defying commitment, not only to God but to one another, it will shake things up. Until then, we’ll just have to read about it in Acts. Lesser plans are not going to help us.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 4, 2009 (Adapted from original, November 29, 2004)
Building Blocks and Stumbling Blocks
What are the BUILDING BLOCKS for national revival?
REPENTANCE. Without it, we can forget about transformation.
OUTREACH THAT CONNECTS BELIEVERS WITH UNBELIEVERS.
MUTUAL COMMITMENT.—The end of the religious consumer mentality.
A DAILY RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS CHRIST, AND A “DAILY” RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER CHRISTIANS. Revival is never “weekly.”
What are the STUMBLING BLOCKS to national revival in America?
DESIRE Does the Church in America truly want revival?
TIME. Are we willing to give the kind of time to God revival requires?
MONEY. What percentage of church giving goes toward evangelism?
PRIDE. Repentance can’t be tacked on to pride. It’s one or the other.
REPUTATION. The Church must regain a reputation of Christlikeness.
THE DIVISION OF LABOR. Ministry shouldn’t be left to the professionals.
RELIGIOUS CONSUMERISM. Christianity is not about us, it’s about Jesus.
COMMITMENT. Lack of commitment hurts the Church and all of society.
SELF-PRESERVATION. Until we are willing to let go, we won’t change.
Judging from history, God is ready to grant us revival whenever we actually want it enough to remove the stumbling blocks and use His building blocks. I pray we will see national revival. Meanwhile, there’s nothing to prevent us from moving some blocks and having personal revival, is there?
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 7, 2009
Better Than Gold
Blessed is the one who finds wisdom,
and the one who gets understanding,
for the gain from her is better than gain from silver
and her profit better than gold.
She is more precious than jewels,
and nothing you desire can compare with her.
Long life is in her right hand;
in her left hand are riches and honor.
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
and all her paths are peace.
She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her;
those who hold her fast are called blessed.
Proverbs 3:13-18
Although I could really go for some gold today (especially at $1160/oz.), the Bible tells me I’d be far better off with wisdom. Ditto for silver and jewels. In fact, nothing you desire can compare with her. Wow! Pretty high recommendation! The person who pursues wisdom will also likely be blessed with long life, riches and honor, pleasantness, peace and just all-around blessing. The person who pursues wealth as their reason for living? Not very happy! I wouldn’t want to trade places with any of them. On the other hand, the happiest people I know chose to pursue and apply wisdom in their lives. They may or may not have wealth or health, but it doesn’t seem to matter, for them. There is a serenity about them which makes their possessions or their physical well-being fairly irrelevant.
God invites us to pursue wisdom, because that pursuit will lead us closer to Him. We need to understand there’s a difference between pursuing wisdom and pursuing “education.” There are plenty of people with degrees who exercise very little wisdom and have very little peace. There are also those with doctorates who are among the wisest on the planet. What distinguishes the wise from the merely “educated” seems to come from a combination of humility, perseverance and, most of all, application. Knowing the right thing to do and doing it are two entirely different things. Wisdom involves both knowledge and the application of that knowledge. And it involves the humility of seeking the knowledge in the first place, the willingness to submit to greater knowledge than we possess. Anyway, God likes it when we submit to His wisdom, then practice obedience. Blessings always follow. It’s a good way to live. When we practice wisdom, all paths lead to peace!
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 8, 2009
God and Finals
The LORD by wisdom founded the earth;
by understanding he established the heavens;
by his knowledge the deeps broke open,
and the clouds drop down the dew.
Proverbs 3:19-20
Millions of students face final exams this month. They will pillage their brains, looking for the facts and principles of chemistry, biology, physics and so forth, supposedly stowed away for this occasion. It’s not easy to understand these subjects in the first place; remembering it all is even harder. What do you suppose the difficulty level would be for creating the sciences—all of them? I’m not done yet, because the sciences are nothing more than the explanation for how things work. How about creating the earth itself? Complete with every system required to sustain life on the planet. Still not done. We need the Universe. Create it, please. Make it happen. And don’t touch anything. Just use your knowledge. Just speak it into existence. Oh. And you have a week.
Look around. There are systems upon systems upon systems, entire fields of knowledge which are beyond the grasp of any one person to even understand. What we can’t even comprehend, God invented, and He used nothing but His fantastic knowledge. Intelligent people can spend years trying to figure out tiny portions of what God did in one week. He even had to invent the “week.”
He did it all with His wisdom. That’s how God established the earth, the heavens, all the impossibly intricate systems we struggle even to understand. His knowledge is so vast that He just created it all, using nothing but wisdom! I am astounded at the knowledge of God.
This is a wisdom He is willing to share! If we want to understand, He opens our minds to things we could never otherwise even comprehend. It starts with knowing Him, acknowledging Him. ALL wisdom and knowledge begins in Him. If we honor the Source of all wisdom, some of it is going to rub off. If we apply what we learn from Him, not only will we find blessing and peace for ourselves; that blessing and peace will rub off on others, too.
And if you are sitting in a final exam this month, trying to remember the laws of nature, ask the One who invented every one of them. He is very, very, very smart! And helpful. Praying when you take a test is not cheating. Asking God is how smart people get through life. Especially during finals week.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 9, 2009
Lovers of Darkness, Lovers of Light
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.”
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
John 3:14-21
The news has recently been crammed with stories of people whose deeds have been exposed, to their embarrassment. The more well known the individual, the bigger the story, when it comes to deeds of darkness. It’s no wonder that sports figures, celebrities and politicians who have something to hide prefer darkness to the light. The light is painful! The darker the deed, the more it hurts to have it splashed across the world. Yet when a famous person does something good, they don’t seem to mind at all that everyone knows about it. It’s interesting that some who crave the spotlight when it comes to every little good deed are livid when that same spotlight reveals something embarrassing about them.
Most of us are not celebrities. Beyond our family and friends, not a lot of people know our name, or care to. Does our relative privacy relieve us of the duty to walk in God’s light instead of messing around in the darkness? Of course not. If we sin, we’re still accountable for it, even if Entertainment Tonight doesn’t do a feature on it and nobody but God even knows, yet. The Bible makes it clear: The wages of sin is death, all have sinned, we need a Savior. A Savior is available, but only one. Accept no substitutes. Like the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the desert, the Son of God has been lifted up on a cross, paying for the sins of mankind in full with His death. If we choose to believe, we go free. If we choose not to believe, we die in our sin. It’s as simple as that.
If we love light, we’ll love Jesus, and vice versa. The reason people love darkness is because their deeds are evil. We could be people of the Light.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 11, 2009
Too Many Pieces
There’s a reason this continuing devotional is called “The Puzzle.” Everyone in God’s Kingdom has a place and a personalized assignment, just as each piece in a jig-saw puzzle has its own unique spot. Finding our fit is the main theme of this Bible study. In trying to answer the questions of “Where do we fit?” and “What do we do?” I’ve often used the same approach I would in completing a jig-saw puzzle.
What’s first? Establish the frame. I do this by sorting out all pieces with straight edges, and building an empty frame, starting with the corners. This is a good way to figure out my personal “puzzle,” too: Start out with the obvious things that are easily identifiable. For instance, in determining God’s will for my life, the puzzle will always include serving my family. That’s one of the “corner” pieces. I begin with the obvious and the things which God has already revealed, then build from there.
When it comes to adding all those pieces which comprise the middle of a puzzle, I need to do more sorting, grouping pieces into categories according to distinguishing characteristics of color or shape. If I take time to build a system, it saves me many hours in the long run, because I’m not wasting time in prematurely trying to find a place for a piece for which I’m not ready. Narrowing down the choices is extremely important. I’ll take one piece at a time and explore all available possibilities, or focus on one targeted spot at a time, searching for the piece which fits. Either way, the key is “one piece at a time.” This is also an important key when it comes to finding our fit in God’s Kingdom. If we’re looking at all the possibilities simultaneously, how could it not be confusing? We start with the answers we already have and build from there, eliminating the clutter of options we know aren’t going to fit, and focusing on just one piece at a time. Too many pieces at a time only leads to more confusion.
Another key to the successful completion of a puzzle is the willingness to go on. When we’ve selected a piece, tried all available options and nothing is working, we need to be able to set that piece aside and try a new piece. There is nothing wrong with the piece or with us. In time, we’ll know where it fits, but the time is not yet. We need to go on. So, too, in life. We can either spend half our life in pondering what went wrong and grieving the “almost” fits, or we can proceed.
Perseverance and patience are critical to completing a puzzle, whether the real one or the game. We may be slow, but if we don’t quit, there will come a day when all the pieces are in place and we can see the finished product. Meanwhile, it works best when we take it one piece at a time.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 14, 2009
Wisdom and Zzzz’s
My son, do not lose sight of these—
keep sound wisdom and discretion,
and they will be life for your soul
and adornment for your neck.
Then you will walk on your way securely,
and your foot will not stumble.
If you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
Do not be afraid of sudden terror or of the ruin of the wicked, when it comes,
for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being caught.
Proverbs 3:21-26
The advertised benefits of wisdom continue! Life for your soul, adornment for your neck, surefootedness, fearlessness. Wisdom—a cure for insomnia! Certainly a cure for stupidity. Instead of lying awake at night fearing the sudden ruin which sin always brings, the wise person snores away, secure in the knowledge that there is nothing to fear when we’re serving God. It’s a really good life. When the LORD is our confidence, fear is optional and unnecessary.
Meanwhile, I notice that when it talked about the ruin of the wicked, the phrase used was when it comes, not “if.” Ouch. It’s only a matter of time before every sinful deed brings down its own corresponding hammer blow of judgment. It’s no wonder the wicked can’t sleep. The good news of the Gospel is that, whatever our track record, all sins can be forgiven just for the asking. We ask God to forgive us, put our confidence in Him, follow Him and His direction instead of heading out on our own, and suddenly our lives are filled with peace instead of dread. Such a deal!
But wait! There’s more! (Just like the infomercials). When we tie into God’s wisdom, the blessings start immediately, and they never stop. Ever. The blessings range from a good night’s sleep to eternal life, and everything in between. Pursuing God’s wisdom is how to live the dream—and have more peaceful dreams along the way.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 15, 2009
Free Range Hearts
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Proverbs 4:23
Recent headlines have shouted to the world the news of sins thought secret. The richest athlete in the world is in seclusion, struggling to repair self-inflicted damage to his family, reputation and finances. I’m praying for him and his family. It’s a reminder to us all that if you let your heart run free, it will probably take you over a cliff. The point is, knowing the right thing to do and doing it are two entirely different things. How many times have we been shocked to find that the very person exposing someone else’s immorality was later discovered to have been engaged in the same sin?
Where does stupid and tragic sin begin? In the heart. Logic is dislodged in favor of lust. Offenses are left lying around, unforgiven, and pretty soon there’s a crop of baby bitterness plants sprouting. Bitterness takes root, then takes over. It grows and becomes justification for deeds which would never have withstood the least bit of objective scrutiny. Shielded in the heart from the ravages of reality, the monster mutates. Sin is conceived. It grows and gives birth—to death (James 1:15).
But sin can never survive God’s light. Everything we bring before Him is quickly burned clean. In order for sin to grow, it needs the welcoming shelter of an unguarded heart, a heart turned away from God’s light. If we neglect to keep a vigilant watch over what we allow to enter our heart, it soon becomes a greenhouse for sin. When it comes to that, it’s like my pastor, Paul Cunningham, used to say: “Sin always takes you further than you intended to go.”
The place where sin must be stopped is at the heart level. A clean heart harbors no sin. We do best when we follow the apostle Paul’s prescription and drag every thought into the light and make it submit to God (2 Corinthians 10:5). If we give solace in our heart to sinful desires, they are like a ticking time bomb—it’s only a matter of time and opportunity before wrong desires will turn into wrong actions. It’s only a matter of time before every single one of those wrong actions will be made known to all (Luke 12:2-3). Then, what?
The smart plan is to guard our heart with all vigilance. God will help us. It’s a battle worth fighting, because everything depends on it. What is in our heart will one day be revealed to all. Meanwhile, all of life springs from what we let in to our heart, and more importantly, what we allow to stay.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 16, 2009
Beyond John 3:16
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:36
In the past several decades we’ve heard a lot about “belief” in Jesus in the Church, but not as much about obedience to Him, and hardly anything at all about the “wrath of God.” I realize there have been periods in our country when “hellfire and brimstone” preaching may have been overdone, but the reality of God’s wrath and a final Judgment for all didn’t suddenly disappear because it no longer made such a popular sermon topic. The only way to avoid “the wrath of God” is through believing in and obeying Jesus, the Son of God. That’s not a statement based upon a current fad or pet doctrine, but merely the truth of the Bible. We don’t have to like it or be comfortable with it in order for it to be true.
Too many people have stopped at John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. Great promises! Eternal life! All we have to do is “believe” in him and it’s ours. There’s not a word about obedience to Him or repentance or following Him, so that means it’s only about “belief,” right?
Then why is it that 20 verses later, in the same chapter, belief and obedience are used interchangeably, as if they were basically the same thing? Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him (John 3:36). Also in the same chapter, why is Nicodemus, the Jewish ruler who came to Jesus at night admitting his “belief” that Jesus had to have come from God, told he must be born again, seeing as he already believed Jesus was from God?
How could we think that saying we believed in Jesus was the only thing which counted, but obedience to Him was optional? If we believe in the Son, we’ll obey Him. If we choose not to obey Him, it means we don’t really believe He is the Son of God, in which case, God’s wrath remains on us. We dare not stop at “belief,” especially if that “belief” is nothing more than a weak acknowledgment of Jesus’ existence and maybe deity, but includes no submission on our part to His will. True belief and obedience are so closely linked we’ll not find one without the other.
There’s not a thing wrong with John 3:16. Millions have found Christ through this verse. What is wrong is stopping at “belief,” when the expectation is clear that with belief in Christ comes obedience to Christ. If we choose not to obey the Son of God, we’ll deal instead with the very real wrath of God, regardless of what we say we believe. John 3:16 is a great beginning. But keep going.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 17, 2009
Blueprints, Please
What did Noah, Moses and Solomon have in common? They all got blueprints from God.
Noah was called to build an ark, to save himself, his family and the animals. The problem was, Noah had probably never before seen a boat. He certainly had never seen rain. How is he supposed to know how to build something he’s never seen, in order to survive a disaster he’s also never seen? God gives him blueprints.
God gives him detailed instructions on what to build, and how to build it. He tells him the materials to use, and the dimensions. The instructions are so specific that Noah is able to construct an immense boat, even though he’s never seen a boat, before!
In the case of both the tabernacle and the temple, Moses and Solomon are likewise given very specific instructions regarding the dwelling itself, as well as everything in it. God didn’t just say, “Build me a dwelling;” He was adamant about the dwelling being to certain specifications, which we learn from the Bible are a pattern and copy of what is in heaven. Since neither of these men had been to heaven, how are they to know what these things are supposed to look like?! It’s easy. God tells them. They get everything they need to know, in order to make a replica of what is in the heavenlies, even though they’ve never seen it. Both the tabernacle and the temple were made according to God’s specifications.
God hasn’t stopped giving out blueprints. He doesn’t ask people to build things for Him without giving them the plans! He doesn’t ask people to launch out in daring directions in His name without providing all the instructions they need to succeed. Many times He only gives the orders one step at a time, without allowing us to see all the blueprints at once. This is for a reason. We can’t be trusted with the whole plan at once! We tend to improvise too much, once we think we know where we’re going. Better to keep us attentive by dishing out just enough information at a time to maintain progress. When it’s all over, then we can see the plan.
How can we make a difference in this life? How can we be effective in changing things for the better, or building things that last? Ask God. I know it’s simple, but it works! After all, He’s the One with the blueprints. He can easily guide us through things which are beyond our imagination, and all we’re doing is carefully following instructions we got from God. It worked for Noah, Moses and Solomon. It would work for us, too. Need His guidance, today? Just ask for it. We will receive what we need.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 18, 2009 (adapted from original, September 30, 2005)
Playing Goalie
Watching my son play goalie on his soccer team when he was seven was an exercise in exasperation. He was still learning the game and had not quite grasped the concept that goalie was an actual position to play, and not a position to play—as in, “a place to stand, goofing off, while the rest of your team is getting sweaty running around on the other end of the field.” The hardest thing was keeping him focused on the game, when he was nowhere close to the ball.
The same problem spills over into my life in ministry. Goalie is a hard position to play, in ministry, because it feels like you’re not doing anything! God has you stand between some sticks, tells you to pay attention, and then takes off and leaves you there to defend something no one is attacking. Shouldn’t you be doing something?! Your teammates are yelling, and it sounds like they need help. Why not go on down and join them? That way, maybe you could score a goal or something. You jog down the field and get involved. You even get to touch the ball a time or two. Then, suddenly, the direction of the game changes and an opponent is sprinting toward the empty goal on the other side of the field. Nonchalantly, he smacks the ball into the net and all of a sudden, your team is behind because you left your post. It turns out that you weren’t “doing nothing” when you were standing back there, prior to abandoning your position in order to “help.” You were doing what a goalie is supposed to do—defending your goal, even when no one is attacking.
God desires servants who can be left standing in a pretty boring place, unnoticed and completely out of the spotlight, who will still be there, paying attention, when suddenly the outcome of the whole game depends on their faithfulness.
Playing for God means we stay wherever He puts us, and do whatever He tells us. Trying to help out by overriding His instructions with our ambitions never does really help, but it sure can hurt.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 21, 2009
The Sin for Stupid People
For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil,
but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to Sheol;
Proverbs 5:3-5
Even in a nation awash in immorality, adultery still bears a price tag. It always has. It’s just that in cultures which have chosen to distance themselves from God’s laws, the real price tag is concealed. It’s a classic bait-and-switch technique. What is offered are the glories of adventure, romance and intrigue. “True love,” crow the songs, movies, romance novels and TV dramas, ignores the restraints of “a piece of paper” (i.e., marriage license) and roams where it wants, with a happy ending for all involved. Reality plays out differently. Reality is, well, like the unfolding saga of the world’s greatest golfer and his now fractured perfect family. You mean adultery is a sin which can blow up your whole life, and you can basically lose it all? Yup. Cool, huh? Who wouldn’t want to toss away a marriage to a supermodel, two beautiful children and $100 million in endorsements based on your reputation for a little extra excitement in life? Such a deal! Not only that, but you get to face God after it’s all over and answer to Him for your actions, even if you manage to slide through life without getting caught. Adultery! Sounds like the sin for stupid people.
Our God longs for us to be wise. Proverbs 5 is a full-chapter expose on adultery, which should be read in its entirety. The scripture pleads with sons to avoid this sin at all costs and instead “rejoice in the wife of your youth.” We’re reminded that God sees all we do. There is mournful, true-to-life testimony which applied to the adulterer in 1,000 B.C. and still applies in 2009 A.D. Listen!
I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation. (Prov. 5:13-14)
Does this sound like someone glad he chose the exciting route of unfaithfulness? Was the passion worth the price? The answer is a resounding “No!” In our owner’s manual for life are some pretty strong warnings. One of them is that adultery is a sin for stupid people.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 22, 2009
Jump on the Bed Verse
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.
Proverbs 6:9-10
This was my brother’s jump on the bed verse. He would quote it to me as he pounced, sent from Mom or Dad to wake me so I could do morning chores on our farm before going off to school. Being a sound, sleep-loving sleeper, it was not one of my favorite scripture passages, particularly considering the source of the gleeful recitation and the manner of its delivery. Who doesn’t want a scripture-quoting, pouncing kid brother for an alarm clock? Everyone, that’s who.
It was effective, though. It got me up, even if it was to try to pound him. Maybe that’s what woke me up prematurely this morning, on a Christmas vacation day when I didn’t need to rise early, but couldn’t go back to sleep. My brother is a couple thousand miles away, so it wasn’t him, and nobody jumped on my bed quoting this or any other scripture. I think what woke me was a combination of worry and unfinished business. Mulling over numerous projects and errands in need of completion, worrying over the sufficiency of resources, financial and otherwise, it was hard to relax and go back to sleep, even though my wife and I had worked past midnight.
I find that worry makes me tired, all by itself. It need not be accompanied by any work at all—just thinking about the what if’s and what if not’s brings on a sensation of weariness that makes me want to go to bed and forget it all in sleep. It also makes me want to stay there. Roll over and catch a few more winks, instead of getting up to face unpleasant responsibilities! It’s like the adage I recently heard: “Why procrastinate today when you can procrastinate tomorrow?”
But procrastination has a way of multiplying problems. Changing the engine is harder and more expensive than changing the oil, but if we ignore the oil long enough, we get to do the engine. A lot of life is like that, including relationships.
The best way to deal with responsibility is to get up and deal with it. If we try to sleep it away or lose ourselves in other mind-numbing diversions, we shouldn’t be surprised if poverty and want show up to break down the door. I’d rather get jumped on by my brother. How long will you lie there, O sluggard? O.K., I’m up.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 25, 2009
Not What We Wanted
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:7
“It was just what I wanted!” That’s what gift givers long to hear. It’s also what gift receivers want to be able to truthfully say. Variations of this line will be truthfully spoken millions of times today around Christmas trees, worldwide. The Christmas gift received will have been the one at the top of the wish list, right down to size and color. Feigned surprise will be a staple in many households, feigned delight a forced response in many others. When it comes to Christmas
presents, a little distance and enclosed gift receipts can really come in handy.
Did you get what you wanted? If so, you did a lot better than most Israelites at the first Christmas.
The first Christmas was invitation-only, the few participants having all been assembled by God’s angels, late guests arriving via camel with the aid of God’s Positioning Star (GPS). In the birth of Jesus, the wish of the ages, a Savior—a Messiah, came true. The prophecies and promises were all fulfilled, down to the place of birth, the blood line, the virgin. It was exactly right, though I’ve often imagined how frustrating it must have been for Mary and Joseph to wind up in a stable cave for the birth of God’s Son. Joseph must have thought, “This is the best I can do for my family?!” It couldn’t have been what either of them wanted! No matter. It was the way God wanted it. He was busily keeping all His promises. Nothing would stop Him.
That included the ruling tyrant of the time, King Herod. What Herod wanted for Christmas was to hang onto his kingdom a while longer. He wasn’t above killing a few babies to eliminate the possibilities of a future rival. He had already dispatched three of his own grown sons, a wife and a mother-in-law. The guy was serious about defending his throne against all threats, real or imagined.
What the Israelites wanted for Christmas was to get rid of Herod. He could please take the ruling Romans with him, and give them back their country. The Israelites definitely wanted a Messiah, but they were thinking something more on the order of another Maccabee brother to raise a Roman-stomping army. A baby? Not at all what they had in mind! The kid would have to grow up, first!
They didn’t get what they wanted; they got just what they needed. So did we. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He didn’t have to come down here. He did it because He loves us. They were thinking an action-hero and winded up with God in swaddling cloths. He’s just what we needed.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 28, 2009
God’s Pet Peeves
There are six things that the LORD hates,
seven that are an abomination to him;
haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
Proverbs 6:16-19
Certain things really tick God off. Here’s a little list of His pet peeves:
Haughty eyes. Pride irritates the Lord. What reason do we have to be haughty? What do we have which we didn’t receive from God? What can we accomplish apart from Him?
A lying tongue. Maybe it’s because God is truth and He never lies. Meanwhile, lying is Satan’s native language. Whom does a lying tongue honor?
Hands that shed innocent blood. Abortion is the first thing which pops into my mind with this one. Those attempting to make God “pro-choice” are racking up for themselves His wrath, which they will one day face. It will not be pleasant.
A heart that devises wicked plans. That’s whether or not the plans are successfully fulfilled or even attempted. God sees the heart.
Feet that make haste to run to evil. Hmm. That willingness to run toward sin is so odious to a God who wants us to run toward Him, not evil.
A false witness who breathes out lies. Lying is so distasteful to God that it gets double mention—this time focusing on not just the lie, but the liar.
One who sows discord among brothers. God loves His children. When someone stirs them up against one another, it really provokes God.
We know what God hates. We would be wise to avoid His pet peeves.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 29, 2009
The Guidebook for 2010
My son, keep your father’s commandment,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching.
Bind them on your heart always;
tie them around your neck.
When you walk, they will lead you;
when you lie down, they will watch over you;
and when you awake, they will talk with you.
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light,
and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life,
to preserve you from the evil woman,
from the smooth tongue of the adulteress.
Proverbs 6:20-24
As we prepare to enter a new and hazardous-looking year, God offers a guidebook to all who are interested. It is, of course, His Word.
Some of us have been marvelously blessed with parents who carefully instructed and guided us in God’s commands. Some of us have been blessed with solid instruction through the Church. A few of us have experienced the benefit of programs like Bible quizzing which taught us to study and memorize scripture. Whether you’re like me and have experienced all of the above or you’re a Bible novice, God has fresh instruction and guidance for us in this coming year. If we use it, it’ll save our bacon!
How? His Word will lead us. We don’t have to know and understand everything; all we have to do is follow the Lord. Jesus didn’t ask His disciples to memorize a bunch of material or study a creed, but simply to follow Him. When we follow His Word, the Bible, we are following Jesus. If we follow the Bible, we’ll know what to do. We have a guidebook for 2010.
Those who not only read the scripture but meditate on it, memorize portions of it, study it and apply it—have a 24/7 protector in the form of a biblical guidance and alarm system. Proverbs talks as if God’s commandments and instructions are an ever-present guide. They are! When you walk, they will lead you; when you lie down, they will watch over you; and when you awake, they will talk with you.
God’s Word “talking” to you? Yes. Just as annoying TV commercials stick in our brains and reemerge, unsolicited, to haunt us, helpful scriptures we have studied will “talk” us through the day, warning us away from Satan’s traps and pointing us toward the God who wants to guide us flawlessly through 2010.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, December 30, 2009
At the Well
A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” John 4:7
How do we influence people toward faith? John 4 reads like a textbook on the subject. It was Jesus who initiated the conversation with a Samaritan woman. He’s the one who wouldn’t let her just brush Him off, though she tried. He’s the one who piqued her appetite for spiritual things. And He’s the one she told about when she went back to her village and became an evangelist, herself. Jesus spent two days with the people of her village, and poured Himself out among them. It started at the well, the place where everyone must go.
And what happens in our churches in America? We too often gather to hide and divide. We hide from the scary people of the world who don’t want anything to do with us, who wonder why we even would talk to them, who remind us of our scandals and our prejudices and faults every time the subject comes up, but who would be very interested in living water, if we ever pushed through to that subject, instead of getting stuck on non-essential details. And when we gather, there seems to be too little burden for the world of weary people outside our doors. We become fixated on our traditions and trends. All the world knows of us is “You don’t think we do it right; you say we have to worship in your church and in your way or it’s not really worship.” Too often, they’re right! That is what we think. Until we’re willing to meet them at the well, the public place where everyone is forced to go, like it or not, we will never see the harvest, because the harvest doesn’t go stampeding into the barn or the granary. We have to go out and get it.
First we have to see it. We’re sitting in our churches, wringing our hands over programs and building payments, trying to find just the right minister for our church to keep everyone satisfied and fed, and maybe make the church grow enough to give us a sense of pride and accomplishment, but not enough to significantly alter our lifestyle or intrude on our comfort zone. Meanwhile, the fields are “white” with harvest, meaning if we don’t get with it, we’re going to lose the whole thing!
People are looking for something. They’re looking for living water, because they’re tired of the tedium of trying to scratch out a reason for existence, every day, in lives which are unfulfilled and crammed with sin. If the Church in America regained a vision of the harvest, and allowed the Holy Spirit to launch us out of our buildings, big things could happen very quickly. We could let the harvest go, or we could choose to love and engage the lost He died for. We’ll find them at the well.
Dave Ness
Puzzle Archives
Servant Connection, P.O. Box 1747, Longview, WA 98632
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