The Puzzle, June 1, 2010
When God Shuts the Door
In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened. And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. They went into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in as God had commanded him. And the LORD shut him in. Genesis 7:11-16
For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Matthew 24:37-39
Sin matters. But God saves. That’s the message I get from the account of the Flood. When it came time to destroy all flesh because of their sin, God was willing to take anyone who wanted to be saved. It turned out there was only one, but God saved him and his family, anyway, plus the animals.
The Flood caught mankind by surprise, but not Noah. God had told him far in advance, giving him time to build an immense boat for salvation. But when the man, his family and the seed stock for the animal kingdom were all safely inside, Noah didn’t shut the door. God did. And for the first time, it started to rain.
When Jesus spoke of His Second Coming, He spoke of it being like “the days of Noah.” People assumed things would go on as they always had, until suddenly everything changed. Jesus’ return will take everyone by surprise. For those who are ready, it will be a glorious surprise. For those who chose not to believe, it will be suddenly too late. When God shuts the door, it’s shut. No one opens it.
Right now, the door to salvation is wide open. It’s available for anyone and everyone. All we need to do is climb in the Ark of safety which is Jesus Christ. Believe on Him and you’re in! The time to get in the Ark is now—today. If we find ourselves one day staring at a closed door when it starts to rain, it will be no one’s fault but our own. Get in the Ark, please?! And live ready for our moment.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 2, 2010
Fearless Love
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother. 1 John 4:13-21
There is no fear in love. If that’s true, why are so many people petrified of it?! We know people who are afraid of commitment, afraid of rejection, afraid of deep relationships, afraid of shallow relationships,... just generally afraid! And particularly when it comes to love. There is no fear in love? Gotta be kidding!
Perhaps we’re talking about the wrong kind of love. The world’s version of “love,” translated in a myriad of ways, somehow usually manages to get it wrong. If we’re talking a “love” which leads to fear or is based on fear, we may be pretty sure we have a distortion of the real thing. Which is kind of scary, in itself. The world’s “love” is, indeed, a scary proposition, for many reasons. One of them is the unpredictable nature of the world’s love. It’s equated with clumsiness: People fall into it and out of it with little or no control over the process, sort of like getting struck by lightning. In fairy tales and chick flicks, love “happens” to people. They have no choice.
The love spoken of in 1 John is a love firmly under the control of the person giving it. This love is patterned after God’s solid, unconditional love for us. With true love, we get to choose whether we love someone or not. This love is not based on feelings, emotions or physical attraction, but on commitment. When we get commitment in the picture, and an unconditional love patterned after God’s love for us, it has a way of driving out fear. That’s why the Bible can boldly state, “There is no fear in love.” A clear sign that we’ve moved beyond the scary, self-centered, accidental kind of love of the world and on to the Bible’s solid, commitment-based love? A lot less fear. It’s a sign we’re going in the right direction.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 4, 2010
Better Lawns and Lives
I remember the feeling of pride I had when I had completed my first underground sprinkler system. Being at least smart enough to try it out before I buried the thing, with great anticipation I turned the water on and waited for my nine new sprinkler heads to pop up and begin watering the back yard. None did.
I didn’t suspect trouble with the new equipment, plus I had individually tested parts of the system before gluing together the plastic pipe. What could it be? All the heads just sat gurgling. This was no way to water a lawn.
At last, I discovered the source of my problem. It was lack of pressure, caused by trying to use too many sprinkler heads, simultaneously. The answer? Zones. I wasted some connections and pipe, and had to put out some money for valves. I found my system would only support three sprinklers at a time. More than that, and there was insufficient pressure for the sprinkler heads to pop up. Once I reconfigured the system, everything worked perfectly.
God has frequently reminded me why I struggle to get things done: I try to concentrate on too many things at the same time. There’s usually nothing wrong with the tasks—there are just too many of them. I’m more of a one-or-two tasks at a time person; when someone cons me into nine at a time, nothing much happens, except frustration.
I’ve said it before. If I had it to do over again, the biggest thing I would change in pastoral ministry is one word: Focus!
Through the years I’ve spent too much time collecting good ideas to never implement; going to conferences, then looking for a place to store another plastic notebook. And not saying “No” nearly enough. The wise realize that saying “Yes” to everything is basically saying “No” to everything, since the promises quickly overwhelm the resources and we’re left with sputtering sprinkler heads. If we would put all our resources toward just one or two good, prayer-driven ideas and politely decline the rest, we’d have better results.
Pray, then focus. Pray, then decide. Pray, then actually do something besides formulating yet another lifeless plan or resolution that’ll never see the light of day. I find plans all the time that I don’t remember writing. Nobody else knew about them, either, because nothing happened!
Does the whole lawn need watering? Yes. That’s precisely why we must focus on one or two things at a time, instead of everything at once. Not all good ideas require our attention. Pray, then pick one. My lawn’s life improved once my focus did. That same principle applies in ministry and most everything else. Prayer, then focus. It makes for better lawns and lives.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 9, 2010
Him Who is True
We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.
We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. I John 5:18-21
The world is under Satan’s control, but we’re not. That’s the message I’m hearing from these final verses of 1 John.
It’s good to know we don’t have to trudge along in the old ruts of sin and idolatry—it’s not God’s plan at all for us to continue to sin after we’ve found the Savior. We’re not talking perfection, here, but we are talking about living under God’s grace and protection, instead of blithely continuing to disgrace the name of Christ under the guise of grace. Just because all our sins are forgiven doesn’t mean we have to try all the flavors! We are offered protection from the evil one, if we will take it. It’s part of what it means to be “in him who is true.” When we take refuge in the Son of God, there isn’t a thing Satan can do about it.
Him who is true. I love that phrase because it is such a wonderful and accurate description of God. He is true. He is totally trustworthy. Meanwhile, there’s the reminder that when we see the unfair and the disgusting, it’s because this world is presently under the control of the evil one, which makes those living for Jesus Christ feel unwanted and unloved by the world, but cherished and protected by our great God. After all, we are His children. I would not want to mess with God’s kids!
Him who is true. We not only get to know Him and trust Him, we get to be in Him! We are absorbed into the life of a true and living God who can do anything. One day the Son of God will reclaim the earth He made, the evil one will be gone, and the rejoicing will kick up to a level never seen before. He is the true God and eternal life. He doesn’t just offer eternal life—He is eternal life! It’s a good reason to keep ourselves from idols. Anything short of Jesus Christ is by no means worthy of our worship. He is the true God and eternal life. Accept no substitutes.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 10, 2010
Saviors
These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. Genesis 6:9
And God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth and upon every bird of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the fish of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered. Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Genesis 9:1-3
Only one Savior can provide eternal life—Jesus Christ, the Son of God. But when it comes to saving lives in a temporal fashion, many throughout history have functioned in that role—none more so than Noah. Had it not been for his righteousness and obedience, all life on earth would have been destroyed. He saved not only his family, but the animal kingdom as well.
How did Noah save mankind? Through his righteousness and obedience to the Father. How did Jesus save mankind for eternity? Through His righteousness and obedience to the Father.
When it came down to it, why was Noah’s family saved? Because Noah was righteous and obedient to the Father. They were saved on account of Noah’s righteousness, not their own.
Why will those who believe in Christ be saved, eternally? Because Jesus was righteous and obedient to the Father. We will be saved because of Jesus’ righteousness, not our own. See the pattern? One is saved through the righteousness of another.
For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)
God even let Noah be a savior to the animals. The God who spoke them into existence in the first place could have easily repeated that method if He wanted to replenish the planet, post-Flood. Instead, He allowed Noah to be the savior of the animal kingdom, the result being a new level of respect and fear of man which came over the animals after the Flood. God granted mankind the right to eat meat, a new development among many in a very different post-Flood world.
We have a Savior for eternity. But when it comes to helping people find Him, we get to be a “savior.” All we need do is walk with God and obey Him. And, like Noah, our righteousness and obedience will result in others being saved, too.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 11, 2010 (originally written 12-13-05)
What Would They Do?
Two of the greatest nation-changers in history were John Wesley and the Apostle Paul. John Wesley ministered in England in the 18th century, Paul in the Roman Empire in the 1st century. Both had incredible spiritual impact on entire nations. If they were transported to minister in our county, this year, what would they do? We’ll start with John Wesley:
—He would preach, probably outdoors, to whomever would listen. (He might start first in the pulpits of whatever churches might be open to him.)
—He would minister through a web site, through email, probably through radio and maybe television.
—He would organize societies and bands, with leaders, accountability, and a “method” of spirituality which would result in permanently transformed lives.
—He would recruit traveling preachers, and give them the directive that they had nothing to do but save souls.
—He would refuse to compete with the established church. Instead, he would try to support it in every way, and encourage everyone else to do the same.
—On the other hand, he would not allow church membership or attendance to be a substitute for discipleship. (Unfortunately, we often have).
—He would focus his time and energies on very specific things, to the neglect of practically everything else.
He would change America.
What would Paul do?
—I think he would definitely start in the churches, preaching and teaching to whomever would listen. What would be funny would be to see people trying to debate him, using their interpretation of the scriptures Paul himself had written! “What you really meant was...!”
—Paul would engage the culture. He would spend some time in the churches, teaching on the deepest level possible, but I think he would spend the majority of his time evangelizing unbelievers, then training them to be disciples of Christ. He would seldom be alone, but would usually have ministers-in-training with him.
—I think Paul would also go for the “chiefs.” He would look up the movers and shakers and give them his testimony. He would debate the intellectuals. He would write letters to the editor. I think Paul would nearly always do a frontal attack. He also probably wouldn’t stay in one place for long, just long enough to see renewal in the church. Then he would move on.
He would change America.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 14, 2010
The Best Father’s Day Gift
A wise son makes a glad father,
but a foolish man despises his mother.
Proverbs 15:20
Father’s Day is notorious for its awkwardness. With Mother’s Day, most offspring can fall back on flowers or plants and a nice card, chosen from among rows and rows of sentimental offerings, and they will be just fine. Father’s Day? Finding a card that isn’t dorky or an outright lie is tougher, and figuring out a gift is often downright painful. What does a father want? If you ask him, the answer is either “I don’t know” or “a new truck,” or something in a similar price range.
What will make Dad glad? Probably not a new tie or whatever the store was pushing as a “can’t miss” idea. The new truck would make him smile, until he found out how much you paid for it and what a lousy bargainer you are, not to mention you didn’t even get the right one. Plus, it was actually his money you used. Not a good plan.
This is the sure-fire plan for making Dad happy, and not just for a day or two—are we ready?
A wise son makes a glad father.
When it comes to fatherhood, cards and gifts are not the pay-off that bring joy. (That’s not what really brings joy to mothers, either). What makes Dad (and Mom) glad is a wise son or daughter. If you have the great fortune to have a child or two who follows God, uses their head and exhibits wisdom and grace, you already have the best gift they could give you, and it’s year-round. Whatever they stick in a box and hand you on “special” days is just extra.
The all-time favorite Father’s Day gift I’ve ever received was a few years back, when our daughter, then in middle school, bought me a hose nozzle (which quickly broke). The gift, while thoughtful and purchased with her own money, wasn’t much. What brought me to tears was the homemade label she had attached to the wrapped gift.
The most similar features between my daughter and I have always been our hands. Palm to palm, the match makes us smile. For a label, our young daughter had traced her hand on a folded piece of blue paper, then cut out a hand-shaped outline which opened to reveal the message inside. On the outside of the label she had written, “I know I have your hands...” Inside, it read, “I hope I inherited your heart.”
What makes me glad? Two children like that, a beautiful wife, a great God.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 15, 2010
Major Adjustments
So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him. Every beast, every creeping thing, and every bird, everything that moves on the earth, went out by families from the ark. Genesis 8:18-19
They emerged into a new world, one very different from the one they had known a year before, when they had entered the ark. The changes were enormous. For one thing, they were alone. Not another human or animal was anywhere to be seen. It must have been like landing on a new, uninhabited planet.
In some ways, it was a new planet. Now it rained; before, a mist had come up from the ground to water the earth. Noah and his family must have been terrified the first few times it rained. Would the phenomenon which had wiped out all living things now destroy them, too? Did they need to get back in the ark? They needed assurance. God gave it to them in the form of another new marvel, the rainbow, along with His solemn promise to never again flood the whole earth.
In this new world, the animal kingdom was subject to man, and food for man. Prior to the Flood, this had apparently not been the case.
Given another chance at a perfect world with no sin since all the wicked people are gone, the survivors quickly fall back into sinful behavior, anyway. The next time God provides a Savior, He will be one who saves from sin, not just from water.
Noah and crew emerged into a world so different from the one previously known. Talk about major adjustments! They had to cope with a whole new system. It wasn’t just a different climate—it was a different kind of world. And they were alone. Everything was up to them. What were they going to do, now?
Noah’s first action was to make a sacrifice to the God who had saved them. He worshiped God. With all the adjustments they would have to make, the first priority for Noah was to worship his God.
Noah wasn’t a perfect man; his family, even less. But God’s grace doesn’t require perfection; only attention and belief. Noah tried to please God when no one else cared. He believed God’s word to him about how to save himself and his family, enough to act on it. Though he was imperfect and probably very confused, the Lord got him through everything, including the huge adjustments of starting over on what had become basically a new earth.
What adjustments are we facing? If we kept worshiping God as our first priority and righteousness as our goal, is there some sort of major change too big for us, when our faith is in God? I don’t think so.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 16, 2010
Gray World
I have written to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.
Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true. 3 John :9-12
We’re living in a gray world. I’m not just talking about the Pacific Northwest, where the startling appearance of the unclouded sun causes us to scramble for our sunglasses, our eyes being unaccustomed to so much light. I’m talking about a world where black and white, right and wrong, righteousness and depravity are seldom-used labels. It’s all gray. We are constantly crowded toward a philosophy without absolutes of any kind. “It’s supposed to be gray,” we’re told.
That’s not what the Book of Truth says. The Bible declares things—and people—to be either righteous or sinful, good or evil. There are dividing lines everywhere, the main one being, “What did you do with Jesus?” In John’s former letter, he writes, And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (I John 5:11-12) Not a lot of gray there! There isn’t supposed to be.
“But what about ‘Don’t judge’? Didn’t Jesus teach tolerance?” It depends on whether we’re referring to the sins of others or our own sin. With others, we get to leave the judging to God, while we are commanded to love. With ourselves, it’s different. We need to distinguish between good and evil, repenting for the evil and imitating the good. We need to walk in the Light, not in the darkness, not in the gray. We need to quit excusing ourselves for sin, painting it gray. We need to come into the Light.
God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. (I John 1:5)
It’s not a gray world, to God. It’s His world, and He’s a God of Light. Darkness will never please Him. Neither will gray. Good and evil are both realities; we are on one side or the other. We should imitate the good. We should avoid the evil. We should not try to blur lines meant to be clear. We should choose Light, not darkness, not gray.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 17, 2010
When God Was Welcome
We are the spiritual descendants of people who came to this land in search of the freedom to worship God as they chose. It is hard to overstate the determination and sacrifice of people like the pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts, in 1620. Only half their party survived the first brutal winter. Freedom bore a high price.
When our new nation was established, one of its characteristics was not only freedom of religion, but a respect for God at all levels of society. The evidence is found in government documents, monuments emblazoned with scripture, colleges established primarily to educate the clergy. Prayer was a vital part of daily life.
The point is, with few exceptions, God was honored and welcomed in American life, from our earliest days on this continent. Our forefathers sought not only His blessing and help; they sought to please Him. Even those with slight religious inclinations tried to appear spiritual, if only to gain respect among the truly God-fearing populace. God was welcome in America.
That was then, this is now. What is becoming the attitude toward God in America, in these days? Oh, there are still millions who love Him with all their heart, but there are also millions who have come to resent Him, and particularly His followers. The resentful contingency has come to occupy many positions of power in the U.S. Under the guise of “separation of church and state,” these people have determined to crowd God from the public square, entirely, a concept which would have astonished our Founding Fathers. At one time, God was welcome in every way, in America: His name, His laws, the Bible, His blessings. Now there are many, even within the established church, who continue to welcome and expect His blessings, while rejecting His influence and His commandments.
Will we serve the God of our fathers? There is a reason America has prospered. Throughout history, there has been a direct connection between a people wishing to be godly and good, and manifold blessings. At the same time, nations which have served God but later forsaken Him have all met the same fate.
For centuries, God has been welcome in America. Our national track record, while not spotless, has been good. God’s continued blessing on America is up to us. If we welcome not only His blessings but His presence, we will have both. If we sincerely worship God and welcome His influence and His Word, we will continue to enjoy His protection. If, as a nation, we want Him to leave us alone, He will. Anyone desiring that fate should read a little history to discover what happens to nations who go from honoring God to resenting Him.
Lord? Please stay.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 18, 2010
You’re On, Martha
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42 ESV
Martha’s of the world, rejoice! Your time has come.
For years, you’ve squirmed at the story of Mary and Martha, the triumph of the “worshiper” over the worker, the humiliation of trying to level the playing field and having the Referee call foul on you, of all people!
Worship, as they call it, has always been hard for you: People weeping, dancing, carrying on, looking ridiculous. Maybe there’s something to do in the kitchen. Your comfort zone has always been in the area of preparation, of work. It’s not that you don’t know how to love—it’s just that your love comes with the smell of fresh-baked bread or fresh-changed oil. Your love has always been in overalls, not some outfit that cost a small fortune. Your love is the kind that doesn’t require Kleenex or a second mortgage to express itself; yours is the kind that thinks of every last detail, prepares lovingly and extensively, then picks up the check, funded out of your own hard-earned savings. And when it’s all over, it’s not really the praise you were after; it’s the thrill of having done the right thing, especially when nobody else had even thought of it.
Jesus understands you, Martha. Better than that, He likes you, every bit as much as Mary. Sure, you skipped the sermon to make pot roast. It doesn’t mean you’re not a Christian; pot roast is how you love.
I have a message for you, Martha. You’re on. There is a world around you which very soon will be in desperate need of the way you love Jesus: By being good at what you do, then doing good with it. They won’t even put a microphone in your face. But when they ask “Why?”—and they will—all you’ll need to say is “Jesus,” and they will understand. You love Him, too.
Be ready, Martha. The time has come for you to show the world that you love Jesus. The fragrant aroma of that love will draw people to the arms of the Lord. It’s time for you to do what you’re good at. Be ready. You’re on.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 21, 2010
Straight Ahead for Jesus
Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense,
but a man of understanding walks straight ahead.
Proverbs 15:21
I can’t read this verse without thinking of my former district superintendent, Dr. Hugh Smith, who ends nearly all correspondence with the admonition, “Straight ahead for Jesus.” Not only has he prescribed this path in life; he has lived it. His life and ministry have been an encouragement and an inspiration to thousands. He is a man who understands the importance of an unwavering commitment to Jesus Christ.
There are plenty of diversions available which would pull us off track, but a man of understanding walks straight ahead. I have been blessed to have had men and women of understanding in my life, who chose the best course and stayed on it. There is something very inspirational about a person who is focused on an all-consuming mission, who refuses to be detained or distracted.
Then there are the others. Around each of us are also people who lack sense. They are often the sort of people who scoff at the straight and narrow path. Anyone choosing to follow the rules or do what is expected is slapped with a disparaging label by this crowd.
Among those lacking sense there is an attraction to danger. Rebellion is considered “cool.” Individuality is prized far above common sense. Conventionality is despised. “Why would anyone be content to plod along on a boring path of conformity to someone else’s standards? I’ve gotta be me!” “Me” is generally pretty stupid. What energizes idiots? Folly. Idiotic schemes, pranks, crimes, geared toward veering as far as possible off the straight road and into the exciting wilderness of individuality and fun. Folly is a joy to him who lacks sense. These are the folks who give the press something to write about.
But it’s the “straight ahead” people who keep society functioning. Those who look toward heaven, grab onto a Savior and keep walking are the only ones who understand what true joy is, and we’re only getting started! Meanwhile, those without good sense will continue to pursue the path of idiots, strewn with false joys mixed with misery.
Ignoring the allure of folly, there will be those of us who have chosen the good path. Name-callers on the sidelines don’t stop us. We don’t fall for the traps of the tempter. We won’t fizzle out, get discouraged or quit. We understand that those who reach the finish line are those who live “straight ahead for Jesus.”
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 22, 2010
Kingdoms in Chapter 11
Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. And the LORD said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the LORD dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the LORD confused the language of all the earth. And from there the LORD dispersed them over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:1-9
Two things hit me with this story: The power of unity and the power of God. Mankind, small in number and still reeling from the Flood, deigned to build a city with a magnificent tower, a kind of monument to themselves and their abilities. No need to comment on how familiar that sounds. When people are united, it all becomes possible. There is amazing power in unity.
The unity is based upon mutual understanding and the sharing of a common goal. Without either one, the plan will soon fail.
At this point in time, mankind shared a common language. Everyone could easily understand one another. All it took for God to halt their building campaign was one little adjustment: He confused their language. They no longer understood each other’s speech. So much for unity. So much for the Tower of Babel. God’s power is very, very impressive. Mankind can unite to construct the tallest thing they can build; God still has to come down just to see it.
We live in impressive times when it comes to communication abilities, and ambitions. Once again, the people of earth are able to understand each other. We have towers galore. We’ve even shot a few people into outer space and brought them back, safely. (Unity is still a challenge). But before we get too many more big ideas of how to show off, we might recall how easily God can shut down the biggest project. In my Bible, right under “The Tower of Babel,” it says, “Chapter 11.” Funny, Lord. Those who rise up against you need more than legal protection.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 23, 2010
The Joy Label
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4
It’s always interesting to see how people label an event. “How was church today?” “Fine.” “Fantastic!” “Boring.” (The three were seated side by side.)
When difficulties strike (which seems to be every few minutes), some brush it off and proceed as if nothing happened, while some will stall out and refuse to go on until everything is to their liking. One person calls the situation “disastrous;” another calls it “opportunity.” The labels we use are very important, because it sets the tone for our general response to life. Satan is quick to note that with some people all it takes to stop them is a bit of frustration, and they’re done for the day/week/month. Well, that’s easy. On to the next victim. Much more of a challenge to him is the person who insists on counting everything that happens as just one more reason to praise God. What can the devil do to someone like that?! The answer is, “Not much.” It’s why “count it all joy” is such a good plan.
We all have enough griping material laid in to get us through a lifetime. There are plenty of things which bug us—many of them encountered on a frustrating, daily basis. There are also people, some of them permanent fixtures in our lives, who fit the category of “trials of various kinds,” in the effect they have on our spirit. It really matters what label we assign to these trials. If we regard each aggravation in our lives as another unfair imposition, we will never run out of frustration. Not only that, but as we age, it takes less and less to irritate us, since we live on the edge of anger. The slightest nudge sets us off.
There’s a better way to respond to difficulties: Label it all “joy.” If the frustration is purposely looked upon as an opportunity to strengthen faith, develop perseverance and just one more reason to praise God, the power leaks out of the frustration and is diverted into spiritual maturity. Cool. The result is a joyful, indomitable spirit and a steadfastness which only grows steadier. The list of things which can knock us off balance gets to be really, really short, and continues to decline. God smiles. So do those around us, particularly those who haven’t learned the trick of the “Joy Label” yet, who continue to get pounded by Satan on a daily basis, using just routine trials and irritations. They see that maybe there’s hope—a better way to cope with the junk of life than considering it all disaster. When we count it all joy, we take a big leap forward. God helps us land on our feet.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 24, 2010
Don’t Do the Math
“Do the math.” This phrase has been used countless times in an attempt to provoke people to thought, instead of mindless action. It means to do the research, figure it out, think it through. When we “do the math,” we’ll reach a much better conclusion than if we just proceed without considering all the pertinent information. Unless we’re talking about faith in God, and obedience to Him.
I’m not advocating laziness, here—a refusal to do the hard work of facing reality. I’m just saying that, in a whole lot of cases, when it comes to trusting and obeying God, if we detour into human logic and the opinion of experts above the expressed orders of God, God will detour around us and His miracles will happen in the lives of people whose faith in God exceeds their faith in reason or themselves.
Consider just how many times in the Bible God chose to use the individual who would trust Him for the absolutely impossible. Nearly always, the God-follower had to make a choice: Reason or faith? Rarely could reason get them to where God wanted them to be. In some cases, God insisted on making it harder, eliminating the no-man’s-land of “maybe” and forcing it into sheer impossibility just to prove His point. The Lord wanted there to be no question who was making it all happen. This wasn’t probability and statistics; it was God.
In one of my favorite Bible stories, Gideon is chosen by God to deliver the Israelites from an enormous army which fills a valley. Gideon has zero military experience, and not much more confidence, but he has sufficient faith to obey God, even as Jehovah whittles his army of 32,000 semi-brave Israelites down to 300 certified water-lappers (Judges 7). It would have been a bad time for Gideon to do the math. He didn’t. The impossible happened, the Israelites won, and everyone knew it was God. Those relying strictly on logic would have never gotten to the first step.
Over and over in scripture, God shows Himself strong through the lives of people who choose to trust Him without the benefit of scientific proof or logic. In routine, everyday life, He wants us to do the math! Figure it out. Use your head. But when it comes to faith and obedience, what is required is a head and heart willing to disengage from everything except trust in the Father. People willing to do that get to see miracles, just like the twelve disciples who organized 5,000 into groups of 50, in order to feed them five loaves and two fish, then picked up twelve baskets of leftovers! (Do the math on that one! :))
If we’re stuck on math, we miss the miracles, because we won’t trust God for what doesn’t make sense, or even ask. What do we want, math or miracles?
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 28, 2010
Planning Which Succeeds
Without counsel plans fail,
but with many advisers they succeed.
Proverbs 15:22
“Many advisers” are a pain in the neck! Which is exactly why they have a way of helping plans to succeed.
Plans made without counsel take on a life of their own. Beautiful assumptions give way to grandiose, magnificent scenarios. On paper, the plan is so great. With no one to burst the bubble, the planner exults in things which will never take place, because faulty assumptions and wishful thinking don’t survive long in the real world. Someone should shoot the thing down before it hurts somebody.
The place to root out wrong conclusions is in the planning stages. We need visionaries and dreamers or nothing new will ever be attempted; we need realistic people around to make visionary ideas run the gauntlet of “what if’s?” If an idea can survive the scrutiny of nay sayers in the planning process, it might have a chance. The job of the nay sayers is not to kill ideas but to avoid disaster. “What if?” people can’t help but see pitfalls. This is not a bad thing. It keeps people who listen out of pits. Just try to get a pitfall-strewn program approved by a team peppered with nay sayers! It’s not happening. They’re not about to sign on to stupidity, and they can see it coming a mile away. If a plan can survive a gang of honest realists, reality itself probably won’t faze it.
But we’re also in trouble if we lack dreamers on the planning team. Without them, the committee will meet, share gripes about the general state of everything, knock down a few feeble ideas, and wonder why anyone should even try to do anything about the messes caused by (fill in the blank). The realists will never propose any stupid new ideas. Come to think of it, they will probably not propose any new ideas, since they can see folly in all of them. If change of any kind is needed, better get some dreamers on board.
Get enough advisers looking at an idea (that a dreamer proposed) and something is going to happen. Bad plans simply will not survive. Some good ones will also be shot down. Plans firmly entrenched in the heart of a dreamer will be carried forward by the determination of the author. With a bunch of advisers around to knock all the rough edges off, the plan will actually succeed. Not to mention, there’s a committed team, ready and able to answer tough questions.
It’s easier to plan alone. It’s also easier to fail alone. For plans which succeed, we’d better find ourselves some advisers.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 29, 2010
He Chose Pain
Dear Jesus,
I understand, more than I ever did before, and it makes me weep. For a while this morning, prior to getting in to the dentist, I was sobbing—and it wasn’t because of the extreme pain I’ve had for the past several days which resulted in me losing a tooth which had become badly infected. It was because of the realization that, wimp that I am when it comes to pain—even a little of it—you had volunteered for the most agonizing pain known to man, plus much more which could never be understood by mortals. And for what purpose? To save me. To save me!
I’m sobbing again. You are so brave and so kind and so strong! I was thinking this morning of each part of your suffering on the way to the cross: The whipping; the spitting; when so-called religious leaders slugged you in the face in the name of your Father as they mocked you, mercilessly. They pulled your beard out by the roots. They stripped you naked, then beat you with a “cat of nine tails.” They jammed a crown of thorns onto your head. Hired liars publicly accused you of blasphemy and treason. Sold by one of your disciples for the price of a slave, denied three times by one who had promised faithfulness no matter what, deserted by all. And for one moment, even your Father turned His back on the sin you bore for us all.
Then there was the crucifixion itself. The agony was unimaginable, indescribable. You refused the pain-deadening potion offered and went through it with a clear mind. To know you were facing the cruelest death devised by mankind, to know you would soon be in Satan’s power because of our sins you carried, to know that not one of those sins was your own... You suffered for the sins of the entire world. The pure, spotless Lamb of God took away my sin, and not only mine, but the sins of all mankind. It is finished.
All of these things I’ve mentally understood until this morning. I’ve wept over your sacrifice for me many times. But it was this morning, when I was struggling with the pain of a mere infected tooth which had numbed half my face—it was when I was trying to do anything I could think of to avoid more pain, that the realization hit me harder than ever before: You chose the pain. You volunteered for it. Why? It was the only way I could be saved. You took all my sin upon yourself. You conquered death so I could live forever with you. Instead of avoiding the suffering, which could have been done with a nod of your head, you heroically endured it all. You took my pain. You did it because you love me. How could I heartlessly continue to commit the sins which put you on the cross? You are my Lord and my God. I will serve you forever. I will praise you forever.
Dave Ness
The Puzzle, June 30, 2010
When God Says “Go”
Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.
Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Genesis 11:31-12:3
It’s always been this way. Those who would follow God are asked to leave behind their old life in order to follow Him into a new future. Not only are the sins of the past to be left behind—many times the call is also to leave behind the comforts of home and family. It seems it’s hard for most of us to live anything like a new life in an old, familiar setting, particularly if we have helpful family hovering nearby to talk us out of God’s plans for us. Family is great, but when it comes to things like extreme faith or obedience, family represents a pretty heavy undertow. That’s why the first call of God is often to leave behind the relatives and just follow Him. God’s first word to Abram? “Go.”
The very first step of obedience brings blessing, though. Abram had not yet left Haran when God’s incredible promise was revealed to him. There would be more steps of obedience, more promises from God, and more blessings. In fact, the blessings have never stopped, and never will.
It was all new to Abram. He wasn’t continuing some great spiritual heritage, but discovering God for the first time. God wanted to get him out of earshot of the relatives. So God’s first word and command to Abram was “Go.” It meant being willing to leave behind what little security existed to become an adventurer for God. The next requirement of Abram was to believe. He was on the receiving end of some of the most outlandish promises in the history of the world, yet he believed. In God’s eyes, it was righteousness. Last, and certainly not least, there was obedience. It would be the key which unlocked many lifetimes worth of blessings and launched the nation of Israel.
We have reached a point in America where most in the younger generations don’t know God. They need an Abram experience, an encounter with a God who says “Go, leave your old, unsatisfying life of selfishness and sin, and follow me into a life of promise and blessing.” His first word to us is, “Go.”
Dave Ness
Puzzle Archives
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