That Guy is God’s Will for My Life!

lean not unto thine own understanding. (Proverbs 3.5)

I believe in God’s Sovereignty. Sovereignty means that God is never out of control and always IN control. God knows what I need. He knows when I need it and He knows just how to deliver the dosage that I need. However, when thinking about sovereignty the waters often become muddled when we throw “Man’s Choice” into the picture.

I make choices every day, some good and some bad. Is God responsible for those? Yes and no. Now there is a safe answer for you!

For centuries theologians have debated the topic of, “God’s Sovereignty and Man’s Choice” and are still in the dark. This devotional will not answer that question either. You can ask God when you meet him face to face. What I want to do here is to help you think about how God’s Sovereignty works out practically in the choices we make.

Through the years I’ve noticed something peculiar. Every time that I get behind the wheel of a car there is a greater probability that my demeanor will change. It doesn’t always happen but it’s happened enough that I see a pattern. It is a choice I make.

The funny thing that I’ve noticed recently is that when I’m on my way to work my path literally gets plugged. By that I mean, I’m driving along on a four lane and all is well. When I come to the stretch where the road narrows, however, there always seems to be a slower vehicle ahead of me.

I mean, just as I get to that part of my quick trip invariably a truck loaded with, bricks, dirt or pigs lumbers into the picture. It is not always a truck. I could be a 1972 Beetle or an 84 Ford. Or even that rarely slow motorcyclist who decides to take a “Sunday drive” on Tuesday.

[Side note. Motorcyclists here in Brazil are NUTS! They drive between cars. They often run red-lights and they take treacherous risks with their own and other people’s lives. I’ve seen several of them dead along side the road. One so mutilated that.. well enough about this.]

So, where am I going with all of this? The day before yesterday I came to that stretch and there was that 84 Ford and it hit me, “That guy is God’s will for my life!”

As mentioned, God knows what I need and He knows how much I need. God knows that I need patience. I hate patience with a passion. Except when others are patient with me of course. People tell me that they’re praying that God will give me patience and I tell them to mind their own business!

However, out of the blue, God brings me to that “straight and narrow” passage that few find and I chomp at the bit to pass that little old man with a hat that can barely see over the steering wheel driving that piece of junk in front of me! Wow. That felt good.

I have a choice. I can “p a t i e n t l y”, that was hard to type, plod along behind that God placed individual or I can be a jerk and tailgate, beep my horn and fume.

God is in control but the choice is mine. Do you see my point? I know that you do. Unless you are that little old man!

At What Cost Blessing?

Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, (Genesis 13.1)

Here I am in Peruibe, Brazil on a lovely sunny day in January. Peruibe is a resort town in the state of São Paulo. It’s a beach town. The weather is lovely and the beach calls.

Currently in my home state of Michigan it is 19 degrees and snowing. Michigan seems drab, dead and frigid at this time of year. If you had a choice where would you choose to be? I can hear you now, “Hummm let me pray about that!”

You might jump at the chance to be among the coconut palms, the salt spray, the lapping waves and misty sun. Or you might say, “Leave me in Michigan I love the snow!” But, what if God wasn’t letting you choose either one! What if in the process of normal life, all of a sudden, God came and said, “You’re moving. Pack your things and get going! When you get there I’ll let you know.”?

What would you do? Would you question? Would you balk? Would you go? I think that I already know your answers. Personally I balked, kicked and screamed at God’s call. Who wouldn’t balk, question and say NO to such an odd request?

Abram. In Genesis 12 Abram says nothing as God’s makes his will known in short order. Incredibly, Sarah too says nothing. They simply obey and go.

What did Abe get out of this strange deal? He was promised a Land, posterity and a huge blessing. He got a tent, one promised son, and hardship. There were few blessings of the dimension that God had promised.

The writer to the Hebrews sheds more light on Abraham’s perspective when he writes that Abraham, “… looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God (Heb 11:10). What looks like loss, futility and hardship to us, turned into future blessing that will reverberate through out eternity.

Abram invested his all in something that he wouldn’t get until after his glorification. Isaac indeed turned into a nation. Jesus Christ became the blessing that the world still celebrates and the Promised Land will become the center of the new universe.

Did Abram know something about these yet unseen blessings that you and I overlook? Did he understand that obedience and the future, is often more important than what I want in the here and now? Maybe.

Abraham simply obeyed God. He didn’t say, I’m too old. I’m too set in my ways. I have it made, my family is here. Though he might have used any of these common excuses. He kept quiet and move at God’s command. All of this at seventy-five!

True, they lived longer back then. But so what! He was nearly at mid-life when he moved lock-stock and barrel to Nowhere’s Ville to fulfill God’s will.

Would you do that? Or are you too set in your ways? If the will you choose is your own the blessing that you miss may God’s. Be very careful how you answer.

Those Super Bible People

After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram (Gen 15:1)

Have you ever caught yourself complaining about something that you did wrong and then turned to the Bible to say something like this, “Yeah but back then things were different. God did stuff different in those days!” I know that I have.

However, as I read my Bible I am constantly faced with what seem to be “normal” people who have problems controlling their temper, mouth or passions. They often seem like me. Or I like them.

I see myself in Peter’s sandals more often than I want to. It is usually when he is doing something impetuous. Or I see myself as Eve, standing where I know that I’m not supposed to be lingering and being tempted by something that I know very well will bring no lasting satisfaction.

Or perhaps it’s Judas. ME JUDAS? How’s that? I walk with the group. I eat with the inner circle. I pray. I give and work. Then I betray Jesus as if it were nothing for a measly thirty pieces of silver or less.

Very often those “Super Bible People” are just like me and I just like them. Could it be that they were just humans too? I think so. I think that the Bible is about people just like you and me who had problems. They were in debt. They had wayward children. They had marriage problems. They weren’t as spiritual as they should have been. They made some good choices and some bad one. And guess what? They had to live with the consequences too.

Why, just this morning I was reading about Abraham. He was a Patriarch for goodness sake! He was the Father of the Jewish nation. Jesus the Messiah would come “from his bowels”. To coin a 1611 phrase. Abraham heard from God. God came to his house for a meal. God promised Abraham the world and you know what Abraham did.

Abraham the Patriarch lied to save his own skin. Not once but twice! Get this, Abraham’s wife Sarah was so beautiful that even into her 80s and 90s Abraham feared that foreign leaders would kill him to get to her. So, he said, “Say that you are my sister.”

Can you imagine that? This guy talked with God and lied to Pharaoh. He heard from God and lied to king Abimelech. How could he have done that?

What about the time when God promised Abraham that a son would be born in just a year. God was going to provide Abraham a heritage. Yet you remember what Abraham did. He listened to Sarah who said, “Dear, you are going to have to lay with my maid-servant Hagar, because I’m never going to get pregnant.” Abraham quickly agreed and Ishmael was the resulting son who would become an enemy to the promised one Isaac.

He did things like this because he was just like you and me. He was human. I need to look at these “Super Bible People” and learn valuable lessons. They made mistakes so that I can avoid them. Are you paying attention as you read through the Bible this year? Keep your eyes open and maybe, just maybe you’ll see yourself.

Who Are You (Part 2)

With the New Year upon us tomorrow most of us think about the possibilities it presents. It is a perfect time to take stock of life and make necessary changes and tweaks. I challenged you with Zechariah 12.1 yesterday. It is a short verse in an often overlooked book but its ramifications are momentous concerning your future.

Just so it is fresh in your mind let me put it here in print again:

The burden of the word of the LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him.

The verse easily breaks into three parts as follows describing God’s actions,

• He stretches out the universe
• He lays the earth’s foundation
• He forms my spirit

It is an amazing statement. As I mentioned yesterday it describes God’s immensity and intimacy. Let’s look further at this relationship.

This master piece of literature deserves a lot of ink and paper, or megabytes if you will. But let me just share one article that I read earlier this month. It is about the Voyager Space probe that was sent out by NASA way back in 1977.

The Voyager results will be presented Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco.

Launched in 1977, the nuclear-powered Voyager 1 and its twin Voyager 2 toured the planets and kept going in different directions. Voyager 1 veered north while Voyager 2 headed south.

Hurtling at 38,000 mph, Voyager 1 is currently 10.8 billion miles from the sun. Voyager 2 is traveling slower at 35,000 mph and is 8.8 billion miles from the sun.

When Voyager 1 finally exits the solar system [in four years], scientists expect to see a telltale change in the wind. Interstellar wind is slower, colder and denser than solar wind.

Read more: http://goo.gl/9pPyL

Stuff like this is fascinating to me! This thing has been traveling at 38,000 miles per hour for THIRTY-THREE YEARS and is still in our solar system! We tend to say, “Man! Can you imagine that! We have put a man made probe at the edge of our solar system!” When we should be saying, “MAN! Can you imagine how BIG our GOD IS?”

How many solar systems are there? Get this! It is estimated that there are about 20 billion… IN OUR GALAXY alone (according to Yahoo! Answers)!

God told Zechariah that he simply “stretched out” the Universe, with ALL of it’s Galaxies, like a bed sheet on a clothes line. A similar statement is found in Isaiah 42.5 where God says

Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

In Isaiah 44.24 God explains it in a slighly different way when he says,

Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself;

So, my friend, what does this New Year hold for you and me? I don’t know. I’ve got my plans and I’ll do my best to see that they happen. But in the end it is my Father who spread out the Universe who will determine how my plans turn out. This thought should cause me to want to know him better. Then I’ll know myself better too! Let’s continue our look at this passage next year! See you tomorrow!

Horns

Then lifted I up mine eyes, and saw, and behold four horns. Zechariah 1:18

I know that the above quote has noting to do with car horns. In the Bible horns are mentioned and for the most part they are a part of the furniture of the Tabernacle or temple. They adorned the corners of the Alter. Bible horns usually represent strength or power. They are mentioned in connection with the Anti-Christ in Revelation in that way.

But, as I cut the grass yesterday I heard someone using their car horn and that got me to thinking (bad grammar right?). Who put the first horn on a car? Why did he do it?

I imagine one of two possibilities. Either he wanted to show off his brand new Tin-Lizzy and gave a blast on his horn AAAUUUUGGAAA! Or he wanted to scare cows, goats and horses from his path.

Bible horns are related to power. These days we seem to have a lot of biblically minded folk here in Brazil. They are always using their horns!

Even I use my horn to say, “YOU, BUDDY, are in MY spot! Or you are ABOUT to be in my spot! So get your rear end out of MY way! And do it NOW!” HONNNNNNNNK!

I have a Kia Besta. It is a nine passenger 4 Cylinder diesel van. It is a 94 model build in February of 95. It has served me well and I have only one complaint, its horn. This rather large vehicle has a horn that sounds like the cartoon Road Runner on one of his bad days, beep beep. It’s is pathetic.

When I am commanding the road I want my horn to be a tool of destruction! I want to be able to clear my highway enemies from the road ahead. I DON’T want my horn to bring chortles of laughter from said enemies when I’m in a steam.

I recently threatened to get an 18-Wheeler-Air-Powered-Eardrum-Crushing-Fog-Horn installed in the Besta. My wife’s response was, “The Lord knows that it (the killer horn) will only cause you to sin.” She said that will a silly little smirk on her face. I hate it when she gets spiritual on me during a critical road-rage moment! Funny how that my contact with a car changes my demeanor. We’ll discuss the Steering-wheel at another time.

Tooting my own horn has several connotations. In this context rarely is my horn tooting really necessary. It helps my ego and that is about it. I’ve rarely seen a car change it’s course because of one of my “friendly” taps on the horn.

I’m going to put the restraints on using the horn this year. I know that with my wife’s and God’s help I can do it. Honk if you are willing to give it a go with me!

Follow the Man with the Bucket (Part Two)

Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: Follow him (Mark 14.13)

Yesterday we left Evangelist Bill Bathman and his small group of Bible smugglers stranded in an icy Russian city. They were there to deliver precious cargo to Comrade X. An unknown man in an unnamed city. Let’s pick up where we left off.

Entering the city limits on that cold, damp evening the Americans noticed something that caught all of them by surprise. There along one of the narrow, dingy sidewalks, trudging slowly but deliberately was a young man. What shocked everyone was that this shadowy figure was carrying what looked to be a bucket of water! It was an unusual scene especially in light of the Bible passage that the group had just read.

Bill looked in amazement and glancing at his friends he whispered, “Let’s follow him!” So, off they went trying to be as inconspicuous as possible. They kept their distance but made their way steadily creeping along the twisting icy streets of this unknown Russian city.

What riveted their attention to this young man was that water bucket. Carrying water in Bible times was virtually unheard of. It was thought to have been “woman’s work.” The same was true in 1960s Russia. Men did other things. They didn’t carry water! But here they were. A small car full of Americans in Cold War Russia with a trunk full of precious heavenly cargo following, of all things, a water toting Russian man.

The trek seemed to take an eternity as the tiny entourage snaked along. They finally rounded a corner and noted that the young man had entered a narrow and darkened doorway. Cautiously, Bill exited the tiny car. He made his way to that entry and lightly tapped its frozen surface with his bare fist while holding his breath and whispering a prayer for protection.

As the door opened Bill noticed that the entry led up a set of narrow steps that disappeared into the darkness, apparently to an “upper room.” The slender figure that had answered the door asked, “May I help you?” with his heavy Russian accent. Bill whispered, “I’m looking for Comrade X.” The man’s reply stunned him as he whispered back, “I’m Comrade X.” “We have Bibles” Bill stuttered. “Come into my apartment.” came Comrade’s reply. Bill climbed those weather worn steps with anticipation and as he stepped into a large sparsely furnished “upper room” he nearly broke into worshipful tears of praise to God. 

God had sovereignly directed this tiny group to the exact house and one individual in that vast tundra called Russia.

Bill ended his talk to us that night by meditating on a phrase from Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth, “ But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God… as unknown, and yet well known” (2Corinthians 6:4,9).

Do you feel like a number, a statistic, a nobody? To this world you might be. But if you are one of God’s blood bought children you are, “Unknown and yet well known” by the One who matters. So, carry on with the understanding that you labor in the Lord is never in vain nor unnoticed.

Follow the Man with the Bucket

Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: Follow him (Mark 14.13)

Years ago missionary / Evangelist Bill Bathman, directior of Intouch Mission International preached a week of conference at our church. Bill is an animated and intriguing speaker. He is a great story teller who loves what he does and it shows in each message.

During one particular evening Bill was sharing some of his daring forays into what was then call the No Man’s Land behind the Iron Curtain. The Cold War was in full force and Bibles and other Christian materials were Verboten, FORBIDDEN!

In recounting one particular clandestine operation Bill had us all on the edge of our seats. He and his small group had traveled to a tiny unnamed Russian city to make a Bible drop. Said city was in the middle of nowhere and so backward in its infrastructure that not only was the city unnamed none of its streets or houses had names nor numbers.

This trip had Bill and crew making contact with Comrade X. The trouble was that there were many details missing from their itinerary. They had never met Comrade X. They knew that he lived in this particular city but they had no idea of his whereabouts. With such dangerous cargo and possible prison awaiting lawbreakers theirs was a dilemma.

Before they entered the city Bill had decided to have a time of devotions with his team. He had been reading in the Gospel of Mark and opened to Chapter 14 and began with Jesus’ words at verse 13:

13  And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water: follow him. 14  And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the goodman of the house, The Master saith, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? 15  And he will shew you a large upper room furnished and prepared: there make ready for us.

The group prayed for God’s protection on their cargo. They also prayed for direction to the person who was to receive it. They then groped for the ragged city map as they proceeded into the dark unknown.
(To Be Continued)

A Quiet Divorce

Bill and Sue were the perfect couple. Though Bill was somewhat older than Sue their pending marriage seem to have been made in heaven. Sue was a homebody and Bill had his own little furniture store. His business wasn’t huge but it was enough to provide for a small family.

The wedding date had been set. Anticipation mounted and all seemed to be flowing smoothly toward a lovely little ceremony. It would be a blessed beginning to wedded bliss. At least that is what Bill thought until the dreaded news shattered his dream.

“I’m pregnant” slapped Bill from his fantasy world to bitter reality. The words stung him. They pierced his heart like a cold steel sword. They screamed as they echoed down the corridors of his numbed thoughts.

This had to be a dream. A bad dream. It couldn’t be real! Sue was such a sweetheart. She seldom left her house let alone went somewhere where she could hang with the wrong crowd. She had a lovely spirit and a sweet attitude that had charmed Bill from there very first date.

How could she be pregnant? It was impossible! Even more impossible was her explanation, “It’s the Holy Spirit’s baby” she whispered quietly as she turned her tearful eyes to the cold floor from Bill’s piercing glance.

Wait a minute. This is no “story” it really happened! It is the story of Mary and Joseph.

Interesting how that when the names and the date are changed the story takes on a different twist. The, “I’m pregnant from the Holy Spirit” explanation seems so cheap doesn’t it. The gall of that little girl!

Divorce is never a quiet thing. Joseph’s “quiet divorce” plans, however, seem to make sense. And, the fact that he wanted to attempt a “quiet” divorce is a remarkable reminder of his character.

I like Joseph. Quiet was his style. Have you ever noticed that he doesn’t say one word from the pages Scripture. Shocking isn’t it? He plays a major role in one of the loveliest stories ever told yet utters nary a word. His actions, however, shout loud and clear.

During the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season we can learn important lessons from a study of Joseph’s brief appearance in the Gospels. Quiet is good. Quiet obedience to God’s will is priceless.

Look up the references to Joseph and you will find one of God’s humble, quiet and obedient servants. He is thoughtful, kind and does what God asks with urgency. In fact he acts with such urgency that at one point he wakes his young wife and their newborn son in the middle of the night to make a dreadful journey to, of all places, Egypt!

Joseph, “son of David” took God’s word seriously. He never reacts. He only acts. Once it does seem that he nearly flinched in Matthew 2.22 when the young family returns from Egypt to Israel to discover that Herod’s wicked son is ruling. Even then, however, his twitch of doubt is justified as God warns him in a dream to move to Nazareth. Quietly ponder Joseph’s life and learn some remarkable lessons during this Christmas Season.

Heavenly Thinking

If any man come after me let him deny himself (Matthew 16.24)

“He is so heavenly minded that he’s no earthly good.” Some idiot once said that. This idiot has repeated it. It is earthly thinking. How can one be too heavenly minded and how could heavenly thinking not be a good thing in this hellish world?

Speaking of “thinking” yesterday we thought a bit about the Devil’s tools. We noted how that Peter, for an instant, was used by the Devil to try and convince Jesus to abandon his grand plan of propitiation. Now, there is a word to get your thinking cap percolating!

Propitiation is a good theological word that means to satisfy God’s righteous demands. God’s plan requires shed blood to pay for sin that separates man from him. His Son, Jesus, became the Lamb of God who shed his blood to satisfy that demand.

Heavenly thinking means that we imitate Christ with our attitudes and lifestyles. In Matthew 16 Jesus followed his rebuke of Peter with stunning words for all of his disciples. For the next few days I’d like to look at this type of Heavenly thinking.

I promised that you’d not like it. I said that because this type of thinking is unearthly, hard and impossible to understand without a proper relationship with the one who first proposed it. With a proper relationship this type of thinking is difficlut. Imagine trying to grasp this idea without that relationship.

Jesus begins this short discourse with a subordinating conjunction. Before you run screaming to find your seventh-grade English homework let me explain. I had to look it up too. A subordinating conjunction connects a subordinate clause to a main clause. Whoa! That didn’t get any better did it? OK, its simple. Look at what Jesus said, “If any man will come after me let him deny himself…” (Matthew 16.24).

The “If” that Jesus uses presents a choice. Jesus had just rebuked Peter for being used by Satan. Jesus grasps this opportunity to teach his men a lesson. “Boys, here’s the deal, if you are going to follow me then there will be a price to pay. A huge price” (my really rough translation).

Heavenly thinking, plainly stated, involves more than just fluffy cloud ideas floating aimlessly in one’s brain. It is God centered and purposeful. It involves, here’s the part that you’ll not like, sacrifice and hard choices.

Compare Heavenly thinking with the Devil’s thinking and you’ll choose the Devil every time. The Devil says, “If you eat this fruit you will become like God!” Jesus says, “Deny yourself and take up your cross.” The Devil says, “Worship me and I’ll give you the world.” Jesus says, “I don’t even have a place to lay my head and my followers won’t either.” The Devil wants to put me on the pinnacle of the Temple. Jesus says, “He who will be great must serve everyone.” Which looks better to you? The Devil right? I knew it.

Is Heavenly thinking “Pie in the sky” thinking? Only if you like humble pie. We’ll talk more tomorrow.

Go Wash Those Hands!

for they wash not their hands when they eat (Matthew 15.2)

Did mom ever tell you to, “GO wash those HANDS right NOW”? Of course she did. It’s a MOM thing. Moms are funny that way. They like things clean. Why do you think that baby-wipes and portable hand-sanitizer are such a hit?

Though this has nothing to do with clean hands, I’ve just got to tell you this quick story. I was at a Sunday school class party a few years back and was in line at the food table. The line was moving slow as it always seems to on that first pass. I noticed that the ketchup was brand new and had the protective plastic under the lid. I whipped out my Swiss Army knife to solve that little problem when right behind me one of the moms screamed emphatically, “OH NO YOU DON’T! I KNOW WHERE THAT KNIFE HAS BEEN!”

Mom’s like cleanliness. It’s next to Godliness. Just ask em.

On the surface it looked like the Pharisees and Scribes liked cleanliness too. They liked it SO much that in Matthew 15 they had travel sixty miles, let me repeat that, SIXTY miles to ask Jesus why his disciples weren’t washing their hands before they ate. Their Mom’s would have been so proud!

To them traditions were “Scripture.” Oral traditions had as much or more weight than the written Word. Their motive, however, was different. They were looking for any and every reason to accuse Jesus and they were willing to go to whatever lengths to do just that.

Imagine their disappointment when Jesus answered their question with a question of his own as he often did. It went something like this, “Why do you make your traditions equal with God’s Word?” He then listed a couple of examples:

• God says “Honor you father and mother.”
• You say “I can’t because I’ve dedicate any help that might have been available to God.”
• God says “One who doesn’t honor his parents is worthy of death!”
• You say “Such a one is has a good excuse.”

“You are all a bunch of hypocrites! And in your hypocrisy you are fulfilling the Scriptures you nullify. Look at Isaiah 29.13 for example!”

Jesus then does what every man and boy wants to. He tells the Scribes and Pharisees why hand washing was an ancillary issue! He changes the focus from dirty hands to dirty mouths and hearts. It was oral tradition that had infected their thinking. That misguided tradition passed by mouth had led them to invent their own scriptural perversion. They were using that faulty version to accuse Jesus.

Have you ever used the OTV (Oral Tradition Version) of scripture to get your way or to accuse another person? That version has verses like, “Cleanliness is next to Godliness.” Or even, “God helps them that help them selves!” Be careful that you aren’t being contaminated by germy thinking.