It's All in the Perspective

It's funny what we remember.  I think I speak for most of us when I say that my young childhood memories are few and far between, until I reach a certain age.  My memories provide nothing that resembles a comprehensive perspective of my life or my family's life; instead my memories are more like an unorganized photo album of random instances.  Do you ever wonder what causes us to remember some things more than others?  Is my three-year-old brother going to remember anything from this week?  (Wait - I can answer that: Do I remember anything from when I was three?)  My memories of a church we attended when I was about nine are very limited.  One memory that - for whatever reason - is implanted in my brain is sitting in the pew one Sunday morning during the offering.  I distinctly remember wondering just how the ushers or the pastor were going to get the money to God.  From my perspective, it would be quite hard for the pastor to reach all the way to heaven.  I completely understood that all these people were giving the money to God, but I just couldn't figure out how the money actually got to Him.

   When Jesus encouraged His followers to do good to others, He assured them (and us) with a promise: When we reach heaven, we will be praised for our charitable acts to others because "'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me'" (Matthew 25:40).  When we give to others, we are really giving to God.  What an amazing picture!  When we give to those who desperately need financial help here on earth, we are really giving a gift to our Father in heaven.

"Suppose you're giving to help African children with AIDS.  When you see an article on the subject, you're hooked.  If you're sending money to plant churches in India and an earthquake hits India, you watch the news and fervently pray.  As surely as the compass needle follow north, your heart will follow your treasure.  Money leads; hearts follow." - Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle

How can you tell a foreigner from a citizen?  I'm sure there are many ways, depending on the situation.  Foreign guests may speak with an accent or wear different clothes.  They may prefer different food or have different interests.  They might spend their money on different things.  How we spend our money is a witness to everyone around us where our hearts and citizenship are.  As Christians, we are citizens of a heavenly kingdom (Philippians 3:20-21).  Would an American citizen traveling through India prefer to accumulate rupees or dollars?  Would he seek to build up a stash of money that is only worth something in the country he is visiting?  Or would he want a full bank account in the land that he calls home?  It's so easy to forget that we are only here on earth for a short time, and that our real home is heaven.  One way to remind us of our eternal destination is to use our earthly currency to gain heavenly treasures.
   Obedience always brings blessing (though not always immediately).  While we experience great joy in giving to God when we give to others here on earth, our full reward is waiting in heaven for us.  By giving to God (and His children), we build up for ourselves treasure in heaven - that will always be valuable whether the stock market climbs or crashes.  In giving to others, a giver grows closer to God and receives treasure in heaven.  It's a win-win!
   Back in that church pew, my childlike perspective pictured God in heaven accepting literal money from His people.  Little did I comprehend that God was actually giving to us.  Giving is itself a gift - we get to be part of God's plan and we are rewarded in heaven.  What better investment could there be?

"'Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.'" Luke 12:32-34

Much of the Christian life seems paradoxical at first glance.  Whoever loses his life will find it.  Whoever strikes your cheek, turn to him the other also.  A king in a manger.  Moneybags that never age, but are not used to accumulate earthly gold.  Everyone in this world is a fellow traveler speeding their way toward eternity.  Unfortunately, many, many travelers are preparing for their eternal destination with temporal currency, as they hoard their wealth instead of giving it away.  What many people see as paradoxical and foolish is really the only wise choice - when your perspective is right.

Merry Christmas!

"Immanuel, God with us in our nature, in our sorrow, in our lifework, in our punishment, in our grave, and now with us, or rather we with Him, in resurrection, ascension, triumph, and Second Advent splendor."
 - Charles Spurgeon

"He was created of a mother whom He created. He was carried by hands that He formed. He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, He the Word, without whom all human eloquence is mute."

 - Augustine

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare Him room,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven and nature sing,

And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.

 - Isaac Watts

photo credit

Not My Ways

About a year ago, my family and I were planning to take a much-anticipated out-of-state trip.  A few days before we were supposed to leave, my toddler brother started throwing up.  As the bug slowly went through the rest of the family, we hoped that this would not change our plans.  Eventually, however, it was clear that some of us were not going to be able to make the trip.


Needless to say, this was not what we had planned.


This was not what I had planned.


For centuries, the Jewish people had waited for the promised Messiah.  Ideas and expectations abounded as the conquered people hoped for a majestic Jewish ruler to restore greatness to their nation.  Many, especially the zealots, expected a great and mighty man to come in the greatness of physical power, and he would show the world that the Jews were God's people - invincible conquerors.  The zealots were looking for the Messiah in high and powerful places.


They weren't looking in a manger.


Mary and Joseph were a devout couple with godly plans for the future - their future.  As a God-fearing couple, their plans for their future together were good plans: they desired to bring glory to God with their lives.  But it only took one verse, and all those good plans and dreams came crashing down.


Mary and Joseph didn't expect to be making the arduous journey to Bethlehem.  Mary didn't expect to place her firstborn in a cattle trough.  As poor citizens in an occupied land, Mary and Joseph didn't expect to have to flee to Egypt when the king of the land pursued them.  Mary and Joseph didn't expect to be told, "'And a sword will pierce your own soul, too'" (Luke 2:35).


"Christmas" didn't meet Mary and Joseph's or the zealots' expectations.  Christmas really didn't meet any human's expectations.  But God never consults man about His eternal plan; God writes our stories, not us.


I may never know why God kept us home that week.  Mary and Joseph may not have understood some aspects of God's plan for their lives until they reached heaven.  Many of the zealots probably never figured it out, either.  God's plans are always way above our plans, and it's His plans that are best.


Merry Christmas.

A World of Instant, A Culture of Hurry

As the song says, this really is "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year."  With carols playing, lights twinkling, and the weather turning crisp, everyone is constantly busy.  It all points to a day still three weeks away - Christmas.  For an entire month, we wait for this day.  For the rest of the year, we look back with fondness on the last Christmas and look forward to the next.


As Christians, we celebrate the season of Advent, a month-long anticipation of Christmas Day.  It's a strange time for the culture we live in.  In this world of instant, with fast food and instant video streaming,  it's hard for us to slow down and wait for any amount of time - let alone an entire month.


The word "Advent" is Latin, meaning "arrival" or "coming."  Advent, typically the three to four weeks before Christmas Day, is a time of preparation before the celebration of Christ's coming.  With Advent, churches and families celebrate Christmas as an entire season, not just a day.  While it reminds us of Christ's first coming, Advent also points to the time of waiting for Christ's second coming.


Promises were given by God long ago.  The fulfillment of those prophecies came to pass, sometimes hundreds, sometimes thousands, of years after the prophecies were made.


More promises have been made - Christ will come again!  Just as certainly as God kept the promises of Christ's first coming, He will keep the promises of His second coming.

During Advent, we celebrate the Faithful God who always keeps His promises.


During Advent, we remember those who waited a lifetime for the fulfillment of those promises - and those who never saw the fulfillment, but trusted it would come just the same.


During Advent, we celebrate Immanuel, "God With Us," when God entered His creation as a baby.


During Advent, we realize - even in our culture of instant - that it was worth the wait.

Surprises in the Hall of Faith

By faith.  By faith.  By faith.  By FAITH.


So reads the famous "Hall of Faith" chapter in the New Testament - Hebrews 11.  As I read this chapter the other day, most of the names fit comfortably in my idea of "faith."  There was Abraham.  Noah.  Moses.  Easy - they all had much faith.


But then my eyes stopped at a name I didn't expect to see in Hebrews 11: Samson.


Samson?


Is this the same Samson who blatantly defied his parents - and God?  Is this the same Samson who chose a bride among the "uncircumcised Philistines" (Judges 14:3)?  Is this the same Samson who left his God-given purpose for a woman?  Is this the same Samson who foolishly gave away his 'secret' to the same woman who had betrayed him not once, not twice, but THREE times before?  Is this the same Samson?


Yeah - that's the one.


Samson chose a wife, not by his parents' guidance or God's precepts, but because "she was right in Samson's eyes" (Judges 14:7).


Eventually, Samson's self-centered foolishness led to his downfall.  His enemies, paid by his girlfriend, captured him, enslaved him, and blinded him by putting out his eyes.  For some time Samson performed servile tasks for his captors.


But little by little, Samson's hair grew back.  Day after monotonous day, it grew longer.  Matthew Henry points out that the growth of Samson's hair was not so much a sign of his strength as it was a sign of God once again working through him.  Samson was penitent of his past sins, and turned to the God who had orchestrated his entire life.


Then one day, the Philistines brought Samson out to gloat over him.  At long last, they had captured the elusive and legendary Samson of the neighboring Israelites.  Samson came out, led by the hand as his own eyes were no longer any good for him.  At Samson's request, the young man leading him placed Samson's hands on the pillars that were upholding the building.  Samson prayed to his God: and pushed hard on the pillars.


Thousands of Philistines died that day as they were having a good time and praising their god for delivering Samson to them.


I guess God had the last word.


Samson is only mentioned one more time in the Bible after his death in Judges 16.  That one time is in Hebrews 11, the Hall of Faith.


Who would have thought that a stubborn and rebellious young man would be named as a man of great faith?  God changed Samson's heart.  Once Samson turned to God, he put his faith in the only One deserving of his trust. Once Samson's own eyes were out of the question, he saw what was right in God's eyes - and acted on it.


God can redeem the lowest sinner.  And Samson could still follow God after refusing His leading for so long.


Just like Jonah still preached to Nineveh - after literally running away from God.  Peter still led the disciples - after denying Christ three times.  And who can forget Saul, who changed his name to Paul?  He wrote nearly half of the books in the New Testament - after agreeing to the stoning of the first Christian martyr.


Every great man or woman of God is also a great sinner.  "For all have sinned," Paul wrote under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  But God is a God of redemption, of saving that great sinner and making him or her a great servant of God.  All of history shows God's redemption.  All of our lives showcase His faithfulness.


Great men or women of faith are not great in and of themselves.  They are great because they have placed their faith in a faithful God - and they know that He is worthy of that faith.

"Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God..."

Hebrews 11:16

Risky Responsibility

Hans and Sophie with
a fellow collaborator

Hans and Sophie Scholl were a brother and sister living in Nazi Germany.  Unlike most of their peers, the two were not taken in by Nazi lies, and they refused to stand by and watch their countrymen blindly believe the Nazi propaganda.  Secretly, at the possible risk of their lives, they began distributing anti-Nazi literature, exposing the lies of the Nazi regime...and one day they were caught.


It seems that modern Christians don't always know what to do with their culture.  Some want to hide from it (the Amish come to mind).  Others see nothing wrong with living just as those around them live - and their similarities show.  The divorce rate among Christians looks more like the culture than the Scriptures.  Young adults are walking away from the church in droves; why stay when nothing is different?


John Stonestreet, of Summit Ministries and Breakpoint Radio, in a lecture titled "Christianity and Culture," reminds Christians that we are supposed to be in the world, but not of the world.  Christians can have one of three responses to our culture, Stonestreet says.  We can be offended by our culture and withdraw from it, but then we wouldn't be in or of the world.  Or, as many other Christians are, we could be distracted by our culture and assimilate it.  However, then we would not only be in the world, but we would also be of it - living just like everybody else in a culture of darkness where we are called to be light.  The final approach Christians can take to culture is to be engaged in the culture and faithful to the gospel.  In the world, but not of it.  Sometimes we find ourselves asking, "How far is too far?"  Instead, Stonestreet teaches that we should be asking, "'For what am I responsible?'"


Hans and Sophie Scholl didn't have to do what they did.  In fact, Hans wrote to a friend that it was tempting to just retreat to a serene haven outside of the hubbub of Nazi activity, ignore what was going on, and live as if everything was fine.  But he - and Sophie - chose a different path.  "Isn't seclusion a form of treachery - of desertion?" Hans wrote.  The decision was made.

"It's high time that Christians made up their minds to do something . . . What are we going to show in the way of resistance-as compared to the Communists, for instance-when all this terror is over? We will be standing empty-handed. We will have no answer when we are asked: What did you do about it?"

Hans Scholl

The brother and sister duo distributed pamphlets that counter-argued the Nazi propaganda and exposed their lies.  Eventually, they were caught and, ultimately, executed by the Nazis.

If they had seen what was coming, would they have still acted?  Probably.  They knew that some things are worth anything.

"How can we expect fate to let a righteous cause prevail when there is hardly anyone who will give himself up undividedly to a righteous cause?"

Sophie Scholl

Hans and Sophie Scholl have left an indelible legacy behind for all who would stand up for the truth in a culture that is falling for lies.  What will we be willing to risk?  How far are we willing to go?  For what are we responsible?

"The real damage is done by those millions who want to 'survive.' The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves—or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honour, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn."

Sophie Scholl

Photo Credit

The Warrior Life

"The issue is now clear. It is between light and darkness and everyone must choose his side."

G.K. Chesterton

As a culture, we don't seem to like choosing sides.  "It's not that simple," many contend about moral and ethical situations.  "It's not black and white."  In other words, "Do what feels right to you; there isn't a right way and a wrong way.  This life is meant for us to get along, take it easy, and have fun - stop stressing over such divisive issues."

That sounds easy enough.

In reality, Christians have never been called to an easy life.  In fact, Jesus promised the opposite: "'I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world'" (John 16:33, emphasis added).

Christ never called us to take the easy way out.  Christians are called to battle.  The New Testament tells us what armor to wear (Ephesians 6:10-18) as we "wage war" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and to not let anyone take us captive (Colossians 2:8).  Sounds like the military.

"China is not to be won for Christ by quiet, ease-loving men and women … The stamp of men and women we need is such as will put Jesus, China, [and] souls first and foremost in everything and at every time—even life itself must be secondary."

Hudson Taylor

Once Hudson Taylor knew that God had called him to be a missionary to China, he immediately took measures to prepare.  To toughen himself up for a harder physical life, he began exercising outdoors and sleeping on a hard mattress instead of a feather bed.  In those days, there were no Mandarin Chinese textbooks or teachers available to the aspiring missionary.  Instead, Taylor found a copy of the Gospel of Luke in Mandarin Chinese and laboriously taught himself Chinese.  Convinced that he couldn't be a soulwinner in China if he wasn't one in England, Taylor exerted his efforts to preach to Englanders on a regular basis.  Never a restful moment.

Once in China, Taylor threw himself into his work.  Refusing to accept the status quo of other missionaries in China, Taylor challenged conventional practices and began wearing traditional Chinese dress.  Why cling to his English lifestyle when he was intent on reaching China for Christ?  Taylor also began the gargantuan task of translating the Bible into Chinese.  Never a restful moment.

Even when Taylor had to return to England for medical reasons, he continued to labor for China.  There Hudson spent his time writing a book, learning midwifery skills, recruiting missionaries, and continuing to translate the Bible into Chinese.  Never a restful moment.

Taylor knew that life is short.  Never one for living the way of the common culture, Taylor challenged the accepted forms of mission work, blazing new trails for those who would follow in his steps.  There was no time for entertainment or relaxation for Taylor.  All of his waking hours were spent in preparing for and accomplishing his God-given purpose.

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed," Taylor asserted.  For Taylor it was black and white.  Instead of being swept along in the cultural sea of mediocrity and self-pleasure, Taylor swam against the currents that advocated the easy life.

Hudson Taylor was at war.

"No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him" (2 Timothy 2:4).

Hudson Taylor knew that the Christian life is the warrior life.  We have a cause, a Commander, and a calling.  Time is short.  So much is at stake!

"Everywhere there is the persistent and insane attempt to obtain pleasure without paying for it....'Let us have the pleasure of conquerors without the pains of soldiers; let us sit on sofas and be a hardy race.' ...All around us is the city of small sins, abounding in backways and retreats, but surely, sooner or later, the towering flame will rise from the harbor announcing that the reign of the cowards is over and a man is burning his ships."

G.K. Chesterton

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