Answers for Today, July 4, 2011
God’s Breakthrough’s
So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.” Acts 10:34-35
It’s Independence Day, commemorating the day America officially began. It was a breakthrough of historic proportions!
So was Acts chapter 10. It may not seem that big of a deal, centuries after the fact, but this was an historic occasion. Why? That’s when the Gentiles got in. To what? The Gospel. For the first time, Gentiles were baptized in the Holy Spirit, and shown to be on the same level as Jewish believers in Christ. Samaritans had already been brought into the Kingdom, but they were at least partly Jewish in their heritage; the inclusion of Gentiles as full-fledged believers showed a God who was willing to take people without even a pretense of Israelite heritage.
He did start with someone who had the respect of the Jewish community, a man named Cornelius, a God-fearer, devout in every way—just not Jewish. The person God brought in on the other side of the equation was not only Jewish, but an insider even before the crucifixion! The Apostle Peter was the ultimate insider, even as he awaited lunch on the rooftop of Simon the Tanner’s house, in Joppa.
To show this was no fluke, God carefully orchestrated both sides of a meeting between strangers, by giving each one specific instructions, via visions. Cornelius was praying when he was told to send for Peter. God was kind enough to give Cornelius Peter’s name, and where he happened to be staying at the time. Messengers were sent off, the same day.
God had to work a different angle with Peter. Although definitely not sinless, Peter did pride himself on his Jewish heritage, which included sticking to the Levitical dietary laws. There was a pretty long list of non-foods Peter had always avoided, as had the rest of the Jews who cared about being kosher. That’s what was on the lowered tablecloth Peter saw in a trance. Not only is God specific; He’s persistent. Peter got the same vision three times in a row, along with the admonition each time to “kill and eat,” and the rebuttal to Peter’s concern about eating “unclean” food: “What God has made clean, do not call common.” When God informed Peter that three men were at the gate looking for him, and that he should go with them, Peter was now fully primed for the enormous breakthrough. It was all coming together, it was all from God. It was all good.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: God wants all who believe in Him to be saved, not just Jews.
Answers for Today, July 5, 2011
Breakthrough Material?
Peter’s arrival at Caesarea in Acts 10 was greeted by Cornelius trying to worship him, which Peter promptly (and wisely) averted. God interrupted Peter’s sermon to the gathered crowd by just dumping the Holy Spirit on them in such an obvious way that there was no question: The Gentiles were now included in the Kingdom, too! And they hadn’t even been baptized, yet! (That was soon remedied). Is God still doing breakthrough’s? Oh, yes! And we are every bit as reluctant as Peter (or more so) to barge through barriers long venerated, especially if it was a spiritual triumph to erect them in the first place. I’m talking about those personal convictions, cultural convictions, denominational standards or whatever, which have sometimes been quite useful in shielding us from temptation, or vital in keeping us within the good graces of our fellow believers. At times they may have become a sort of idol, where an otherwise flagging Christian life is reduced to the victory of “not smoking” or something else which might not have ever even been a temptation to us. As regarding outsiders to the faith, it’s a two-edged sword. Sometimes they have been impressed, sometimes repulsed by our convictions, whether teetotaling our way through life or refusing to run on Sunday (a.k.a Eric Liddell, “Chariots of Fire”).
Convictions have their place, and I am definitely not for displacing them, particularly for the sake of rationalizing an easier, more hedonistic lifestyle or just trying to blend in. On rare occasions, though, it’s not the world which is asking us to cross the barriers we’ve erected, but God Himself. When it’s Him, He always follows the same pattern: It’s specific, not vague; He makes sure we know it’s Him; He repeats the message, if necessary.
Are we the kind of people God could use to engineer a breakthrough? Pretty much all we have to do is be faithful and pay attention, and it could be any one of us. What do we need to do? We need to listen to God, that’s what! He may be giving us visions, with clear, specific directions, but if we prize our personal convictions above specific orders from the Lord, we’re going to miss out on breakthroughs which would have helped us all. There’s a place for both convictions and breakthrough’s—and it’s all at God’s direction, not ours. Keep alert! Whether the world notices or not, historic breakthrough’s will be ours.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: God uses our bold obedience to engineer breakthrough’s.
Answers for Today, July 14, 2011
Sloths Sleeping In
Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will suffer hunger.
Proverbs 19:15
This is probably not the best choice for a passage following a two-week vacation where we’re still not back on schedule, but then...
Vacation is a good time to sleep, to break the routine patterns of work and stress, to just generally let down. The good news is that I only gained one pound on vacation; the bad news is that it was added to about 24 I could already do without. So, it’s time to get back to work on abs of steel, or at least something firmer than Play-Doh. It’s time to resume getting up in time to get something meaningful accomplished before lunch. It’s time that lunch didn’t include an 800 calorie milk shake. Time for relaxing is over; it’s now time to get stuff done, again.
That’s not bad news; work is a good thing God invented. Man’s fall strongly tainted the unmarred joy work must have at one time been, but it still brings a sense of accomplishment and purpose to what would otherwise be a quite boring existence. Sleeping in gets old after a while. It’s nice to have a reason to get up in the morning, to be uniquely responsible for important things. It’s a good thing to be able to provide for oneself and others through work. Meaningful work brings with it a unique satisfaction, even a sense of God’s approval. There’s nothing like the feeling one gets after a job well done. Sloth’s rewards don’t compare.
The principle here is that laziness begets more laziness. Lying around all day doing nothing doesn’t make one feel rested—it just makes us sleepier! And bored. Boredom usually brings its own trouble. The person who appreciates rest is the one who has worked hard and accomplished much. The person who never even attempts to work would, in a society lacking in entitlements, eventually face hunger, a great motivator in breaking the cycle of laziness. As it is, our present society has a way of rewarding sloth rather than curing it. The consequence is multi-generational idleness and sloth as a way of life, with the responsible people, as always, picking up the tab.
There’s also a spiritual application to the beautifully practical wisdom in this scripture. The person who is spiritually lazy, never pressing in toward God, but always coasting, will fall into a deeper sleep than ever, and a spiritual hunger. Hmm. Time to get going.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: Get up and get to work. You’ll feel better!
Answers for Today, July 15, 2011, originally written 1-27-05
An Orphanage or a Home?
In the established, organized church, are we offering people a spiritual home, or is it basically an orphanage?
In an orphanage, you get shelter, food, clothing, and a degree of care, plus the fellowship of other orphans. All of that keeps you alive, but if you’re an orphan, isn’t what you really want a home? A place where you belong, where you are accepted, where they care about what you do, where your opinion matters, where they don’t feel sorry for you. If you’re part of a family, you have a future. What’s lacking in an orphanage is the personal, committed relationship unique to a family. In a family, you belong.
The larger the church, the more chance there is that people can troop in and out on Sundays, no strings attached, anonymous. It’s possible to do it for weeks or months and have no one even know your name. It’s not uncommon to visit a mega-church and find yourself shaking hands in the greeting time with other first-time visitors, neither one knowing it. The reason they didn’t seem very friendly is because they’d never been here before, either!
With a consumer mentality in place in the Church, one expects to get music, programs and preaching which suit the tastes of the congregation, but not much in the way of relationships. Much as we might venture to Wal-Mart in search of laundry detergent at a good price but not expecting to make new friends there, the Christian consumer in America expects church services to be just that: “Services”—some music and a sermon, something for the kids, then you go home.
In the Church in Acts, people were “home” when they were with other believers. They belonged to something. It wasn’t just “5,000 in attendance” in a mega-church with Peter’s picture on the side of a bus; it was a family, where people knew your name and expected you to do your chores.
Unless there is mutual commitment in the Church in America, we’re going to have people going home from our “services” just as lonely as they came. People long to be part of a family, where they belong, where they matter. An orphanage? It’s not the same.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: People need to belong to a church family, not just an “orphanage.”
Answers for Today, July 18, 2011
Rules to Live By
Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
Proverbs 19:16
God’s rules are to live by. The “commandment” is what we know God wants of us, whether according to the Bible, the laws of the land, or Mom and Dad. (If it’s all three, we’d best be paying attention). Those who keep God’s commandments see blessings follow them throughout eternity. Those who blow off the commandments in pursuit of their personal happiness face bitter consequences—if not sooner, then definitely later. Usually both.
God’s commands are not to cramp our lifestyles, but to enhance them to a degree impossible without the constraint of rules. Just as a game with no rules is neither fun nor really a game, life without rules is a frightful, unpredictable, chaotic mess, lacking in peace and in good. God has better plans for His children. He has created a world of order. It’s predictable and reliable—even the fallen world brought about through man’s sin. There are systems and principles which can be counted upon to be consistent and true. When we follow the commandments, we live, and live well. When we despise God’s ideas in favor of our own, we die. It’s our choice.
The person who chooses to bang through life carelessly, disregarding constraints, rules, God and advice, is a person successfully pursuing death. All of us know many such people. Meanwhile, the human being disciplined enough to keep the commandments—or at least pay attention to them and steer life in that general direction—will garner the benefits of a life well lived.
If we don’t care where we’re going, we’re not going to make it to heaven, nor will we experience much of a life here on this earth. It’s totally up to us; the choice is ours. The narrow way leads toward God and eternal life; the broad, careless way leads to destruction. The only way to the Father is through the Son, Jesus Christ. It starts with believing on Him, accepting His free gift of salvation. Then there are the daily choices: Will we live by God’s rules or ours? The one who goes with God will find grace and life eternal; the one who despises God’s ways and assumes everything will be O.K. will one day discover that salvation is only found through Jesus Christ, God’s rules are to live by, and all other roads end in death.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: God’s rules are to live by.
Answers for Today, July 19, 2011, originally written 1-31-09
Claim the Name
And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
Acts 11:26
They were all first called Christians at Antioch. This was not a term of endearment, nor did it originate among the believers—it was intended as an insult; it ended up being “term of choice” for the Early Church.
We’ve come full circle. In many places on the globe, to be called a “Christian” is to be insulted, since great is the hatred toward our Savior and anyone associated with Him or His words. We have a similar choice to the believers in Antioch: We can dodge the name, and just lay low, in hopes that the world will forget about us and leave us alone. We can say, “No, I’m not a Christian—at least not a fanatic. Sure, I believe in God and everything, but I’m just a regular person.” (This response stinks, evangelistically, and for whatever level the persecution meter might go down when we wimp out, the number on the respect meter follows).
Or, we can claim the name. “Yes! I’m a Christian. I’m a follower of Jesus Christ. He’s my Best Friend! The best thing that ever happened to me was when I asked Him to come into my life. He forgave me for all my sins, He gave me a new life, He’s promised me a place with Him in heaven....” The respect meter is whirling, the National Enquirer version of Jesus and all Christians is fading a little, and the non-believer is thinking he has found a rare specimen of the Christian genus—one who is not embarrassed about his faith, who seems to be actually enjoying it. Calling him a Christian doesn’t shut him up; instead, it’s like turning on a light switch! If you’re going to insult this guy, better come up with something else!
There’s a power which comes when we embrace the Name, particularly if we’re willing to live the life that accompanies it. And if that life is humbly focused on asking God to help us show grace to others, it’s a power that draws people toward Jesus. Even those who have yet to trust Christ might start talking about us the way they spoke of the disciple Barnabas: “That’s a good person. I like their spirit. And I wish I had faith like that!”
“Christian” is a good name, because it aligns us with Jesus Christ. Yes, the term has been tarnished by the actions of various imperfect folks throughout the ages who have claimed to be Christian but acted in ways antagonistic to everything Jesus taught. And at times, it may seem like the only people who want to be known as “Christians” are those who refuse to act like one. It’s still a good name!
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: “Christian” is a good name, because it identifies us with Jesus.
Answers for Today, July 20, 2011, originally written 1-31-09
More Than a Name
In light of the present misunderstandings of what it means to be a Christian, it might be good to elaborate a little on what the term means to us, to help dispel innocent assumptions. Example? I once had a stranger at the church door demanding money. He informed me that we were obligated to give him what he wanted because he, too, was a “Christian.” When I pressed him to tell me more about his faith, his explanation was, “What I mean by being a ‘Christian’ is that I’m not engaging in any criminal activity at the moment.”
Oh, so that’s what it means to be a Christian! (He didn’t want my alternative definition or any spiritual help, only the money; he left disappointed).
People have been indoctrinated with all kinds of aberrant ideas concerning Christianity. To them, “Christian” can mean “scary,” “simplistic,” “greedy,” “mean-spirited,” “hypocritical,” “hateful,” “deceitful.” Some of the folks they encounter who use the name “Christian” reinforce these negative opinions. Here’s where the spotlight is on us who bear the name of Christ, who are trying to bring glory to Him. Will we, by our silence, allow the reputation of Christ to continue to be disparaged among unbelievers because those who love Jesus most are reluctant to be identified with Him? Or will we counter the trend by demonstrating the humility and love of Christ at the same time as we publicly embrace His name? We could rescue the word “Christian,” in America. It’s easy. Let people know you love Jesus, then live like it. They’re smart enough to pick out the difference, once they’ve met a real Christian. Claim the Name. Don’t run down others who give Christianity a bad reputation; just humbly live out Christianity the way you know Jesus wants you to, giving Him credit when the opportunities arise.
Here’s another example. With the Super Bowl coming up tomorrow, I already know what’s going to happen. No, I don’t know which team will win, the Steelers or the Cardinals. But I’m confident that if the Arizona Cardinals win, the quarterback, Kurt Warner, will give honor to Jesus. Why? Because he always does, and the media know it and expect it. And when you win the Super Bowl, you can say pretty much whatever you want. Before an audience of hundreds of millions, he’ll in some way give glory to his Savior, if they win. What’s more, he’ll give glory to Jesus Christ, and live for Jesus Christ, if they lose. That’s the mark of a true Christian. I hope they win. It’ll be another chance for the world to hear from a real Christian.
It’s a good name. Let’s claim it. It’s a good life. Let’s live it.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: “Christian” is more than a name; it’s a life to be lived.
Answers for Today, July 21, 2011, originally written 5-27-04
A Revival to Emulate
We need spiritual revival in America. Few believers would disagree with that statement. So, what were the keys to revival in years gone by?
Who can argue with the Early Church model? Three thousand converts in a day, meeting in homes rather than church buildings, and a love and commitment to the Lord and to one another that truly transformed the world. Three hundred years later, they “won.”
The problem with “winning” was the introduction of nominal Christianity to the Roman Empire, even as the Church acquired power and prestige while losing the sense of commitment which had always marked the Early Church. Christianity became “something into which people were born;” previously, Christianity had been “something into which people were born again.” Disciples used to have to give up everything in order to follow Christ. Now, people actually gained power and prestige by becoming Christians! Tradition and possessions became dominant in the Church.
Next came the Middle Ages. Those who longed for true spirituality sought it in monasteries. They tried to be holy by locking out sin and worldliness and replacing it with perpetual worship and work. Because of the monasteries, the scriptures were faithfully preserved, along with the concept of holiness, but outside society continued its downward slide. The monastic life represented sanctuary for those seeking to pull off the road, but did little to change society at large.
Aside from the days recorded in the book of Acts, the most intriguing revival, to me, is the Wesleyan Revival which took place in Great Britain during the 18th century. Led by brothers John and Charles Wesley, this revival chugged along for many decades, while most revivals are over and forgotten within a few years. In my mind, the Wesleyan Revival altered the course of history, for England. If there was a model of revival to emulate, this is the one I would choose to copy.
Can we bring revival to a nation at will simply by copying the practices of times past? No. But the God who blessed the prayers and obedience of His children in former times would honor humble, obedient disciples of today.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: If we did what blessed people of the past did, we’d be O.K.
Answers for Today, July 22, 2011, originally written 5-27-04
Revival Tracks
What are the tracks left by John Wesley which distinguished the revival in 18th century England so effective in changing society?
*It was rooted in relationship with God, not in method or in theology.
*It dealt with sin. The Wesleyan revival recognized sin as the problem of mankind which only Christ could fix, and also saw sin as something to be conquered, rather than accepted as a normal part of the Christian life.
*It was outdoors. The Gospel was available to all, without any barriers.
*High expectations. The Methodist societies weren’t “seeker-friendly,” in terms of making people comfortable in their sin. Once people became converts, they were expected to grow up, spiritually, rather than remaining perpetual babes in Christ. The old life was to be left behind.
*Small groups. Accountability, discipling, nurturing, growth.
*Single-minded focus. Wesley told his preachers, “You have nothing to do but save souls.” Itinerant evangelists played a big role in the revival.
Could revival happen in America? Of course. But it will probably only come if we want it, and if we pray. God can take dead, traditional churches, full of dead, traditional people, or sophisticated McChristians raised on psycho-babble, and make saints out of them, if He chooses. That said, if He began a revival without prayer, it would be the first time, wouldn’t it? When we pray, and when we truly want revival, I don’t think we’ll be disappointed.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: If we pray and truly desire revival, we’ll get what we need.
Answers for Today, July 25, 2011
On Loan to God
Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord,
and he will repay him for his deed.
Proverbs 19:17
Some of the big news this week is the struggle in Washington, D.C. to raise the debt ceiling, allowing the United States government to add to its already unfathomable tab of 14.3 trillion dollars in financial obligations to others. Meanwhile, small businesses and individuals have a hard time securing loans for any amount, these days, while the U.S. continues to wallow in the deepest economic crisis since the Great Depression. Money is tight.
According to this proverb, even God is interested in getting a loan! Well, not exactly, but the terminology is there: Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord. I’ve heard of “talent on loan from God” before, but God trying to get a loan?! Kind of humorous. A finance officer once told me my credit score was in the same league as God’s, but I didn’t think God ever used His for anything. Now God’s trying to get a loan to help the poor?
Of course, the idea that God would actually need anything from us is ludicrous, along with the idea that He would ever really “owe” us anything. After all, we are His Creation, not the other way around. And God operates in a pretty much cash-less society, where if He wants something, He can just say, “Let there be...,” and it appears, be it galaxy or something smaller—say, an inhabitable planet with moon accessory—or lunch for a starving child in Asia.
The Creator still has the corner on making solar systems, while allowing mankind to thrill themselves with an occasional small step on the moon or some shuttle missions. The Lord isn’t asking for help in making new galaxies. But He leans on us for a really, really little thing, promising to pay us back: Be generous to the poor. Huh?
A God who has no “ceilings”—debt or otherwise—whispers to His servants, “If you’ll just be generous to the poor, I’ll pay you back,” and obligates Himself to people who already owe Him absolutely everything. What kind of God is this? The kind that’s unbelievably great to have on your side! The kind who asks us for help!
And whose responsibility is it to help the poor? The government’s? No. The people of God. When we do, we’re lending to the Lord. He’ll pay us back. His credit rating is pretty good. And His love? Beyond comprehension.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: God asks us to be generous to the poor, and He’ll pay us back.
Answers for Today, July 28, 2011
God’s Gym
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:28-31
Many are the posters, plaques and coffee cups bearing the last verse of Isaiah 40. Those of us who are Christians and love eagles generally have at least a couple eagle mementoes emblazoned with Isaiah 40:31.
An eagle in the wild is something to behold. “Strong,” “majestic,” “graceful,” are words which describe these birds. In a matter of a few wing beats, they go from perch to soaring. Their flight is best described as “effortless.” They circle and float in the sky without seeming to move a wing-tip.
That’s what God’s children get to do. Those who wait for Him are availed of His power and majesty—all that we need. Young men relying on their youthful vigor to get them up the mountain are plopping over along the trail. Body builders have given up. The “brains rather than brawn” people are out of answers. Those who rely on God are just getting started! People without God, who only have youth or conditioning or human strength and intelligence on which to depend are exhausted, while those who wait on the LORD take off and soar effortlessly above the rest! It’s not our strength; it’s God’s. He has plenty.
Which would we rather do? Rely on ourselves and how many times we’ve been to the gym, how many degrees we’ve collected? Or should we just wait for the Lord, and take the eagle route? Hmm. Clawing our way up the hill on our own strength, or flying with the Lord above it all? This is not a hard question.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: Human strength route? Eagle route? God’s way is way better.
Answers for Today, July 29, 2011, originally written 2-2-09
Slow Miracles
God seems to like the subtle approach. In Acts 12:25, the odd couple of Barnabas and Saul didn’t leave Jerusalem alone, but purposely brought with them a young protege named John Mark. God will throw as many angels at a situation as required, in order to achieve His ends, but He seems to greatly prefer dedicated, constant service to flashy, inexplicable miracles. In other words, if the only thing that works is to knock Saul down on the road to Damascus, that’s fine, He’ll do it, but He’d much rather have a couple seasoned disciples take a young man under their wing and train him to be a disciple with patience and love, like Barnabas and Saul did with Mark. Compared to raising kids or disciples, miracles are easy!
We need to do a better job of bringing along younger disciples. Two generations float around out there, most of whom could care less about the Church, some because they feel the Church has never cared much about them. “What do you mean?! We’ve provided programs and materials. We’ve paid professional ministers to relate to them! How could they not get this?!”
I’m afraid that far too many times, we’ve wanted the younger generation to cherish our traditions more than we’ve wanted them to cherish our God. They always want to do everything differently, which means we lose things important to us: Our traditions, our methods, our control. It’s easier to warehouse them somewhere by themselves until they grow up. Then, when they’ve learned to see things our way, they can come join us. (Anyone notice how few are coming)?
Barnabas and Saul took the chance of letting this kid come with them. This wasn’t a two-week mission trip to Mexico, with a stop at Disneyland on the way back; this was the real deal, where people would do stuff like throw rocks at disciples. John Mark couldn’t cut it, and abruptly abandoned a couple disappointed missionaries in the middle of their journey. One, his relative, Barnabas, would later forego his own future career as a missionary in order to try to salvage Mark’s. It worked. And the young guy from the new generation did a new thing: He wrote down what Jesus had done. The message had been circulating orally for years, but nobody had written it down, yet. Mark did it. Others followed.
God makes sure it comes out right. He can do jailbreaks, lights in the sky, anything. That’s either with us or without us; He’s always successful. So why bother trying to do anything for a God who doesn’t really need us? Because He seems to like the “slow miracles” best—raising kids, raising disciples, patiently loving people into faith. And He almost always leaves those for us.
Dave Ness
The Bottom Line: God seems to prefer slow miracles like parenting and discipling.
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