As long as it looks good, that is okay…Right?

Probing Proverbs 14:20-21 The poor are despised even by their neighbors, while the rich have many “friends.” It is a sin to belittle one’s neighbor; blessed are those who help the poor.

This passage points out a very disturbing weakness that we humans have. We have the tendency to be very controlled by the “outward appearance” of things. So we usually think the rich are “blessed”, “favored” and “preferred”…even by God. This is obvious in how the world treats individuals…and I wished it stopped there. However, it does not! Even the Church has adopted this wrong view of what richness means.

I have met famous individuals, and I know how easy it is to admire them, try and please them and be able to “drop” their name as a friend. I can remember after I became a believer I thought how much the Beatles could have done for God…until I woke up to the reality that it would actually be the complete opposite…How much God could have done for the Beatles. I remember being with my wife in one of the poorest areas I ministered in. On the corner stood a young woman, both my wife and I flinched because of her beauty. As we drove away I said to my wife, “Just think, if she was in New York City, she would most likely be very rich and famous as a model. And most likely on her way to an eternity separated from her Creator. How much greater are her chances of keeping her heart open for God, due to the lack of material wealth in her life?” Jesus did not point out that it is so hard for the rich to come to know God because they are more evil, they are not! It is because the material comforts make them far more dependant on those things and their wealth can numb them to the difficulties of this life.

Sadly, I have witnessed how some in the Body of Christ refuse to take a stand for Truth because it might offend someone rich or famous. Once I had one of the top stars in the music industry in the Philippines approach me and talk with me concerning a situation. He was startled by my answer and said he was surprised that I actually said what deep down inside he knew was the truth, but was not really open to hear it and no other believer he had talked to was willing to jeopardize their relationship with him. God blessed, and we spent the next year on Monday mornings having coffee and studying Scriptures together. He was the one that opened the door for me to lead a Bible Study at one of the main TV stations in the country. He went to be with the Lord at a very young age due to leukemia.

We must remain alert to how the “outward” look of the cup does not necessarily represent what’s in the cup! A dear brother in Christ that I love and admire was so enamored by a particular “Preacher’s” material success and large following, that he ignored some very dangerous doctrines this man teaches. God looks at the inside, not the outside. God measures “success” according to His standards, not the worlds! Jesus spoke His most stern words toward this mindset:

Matthew 23:25–28… “Hypocrites! For you are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! You blind Pharisee! First wash the inside of the cup and the dish, and then the outside will become clean, too…Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts of impurity. Outwardly you look like righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and lawlessness.

The so what? – Is what people see…close to what you are? What’s the difference between someone struggling with a failure versus a hypocrite?

Life's most important question!

Probing Proverbs 14:19 Evil people will bow before good people; the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.

Whenever we read a Proverb like this, many struggle with the words “evil” and “good.” Quite a few come to some very wrong conclusions. Much of the problem lies with the issue of, from whose eyes are we seeing through? When it comes from our human view, we have a very low bar, or at least we should! If we are honest, most human beings have a moral standard that we would not call evil. Murder, theft, people that pillage a village…most individuals would see that as evil. However, we know our own weaknesses, so we would not call someone that breaks the speed limit, or tells a white lie, or takes a pen from the office home, evil. Our ideas of “good” are even broader, from taking care of orphans to supplying free needles to addicts hoping to save them from AIDS. Yet, when we read a Proverb like this we need to view this from the proper perspective…God’s. What is “good” from His view? Consider what Jesus: 

Mark 10:17–18 As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

For God “good” is perfection! No flaw, no white lie, no pens from the office. I can remember for most of my younger years I thought all pens were black and had “USA, Government Property” printed on it! Did I think my father was evil? Obviously not! So when digesting the meaning of a Proverb like this the second phrase can really help us. “Evil” would be better understood as wicked,  - those with no interest or relationship with God. “Good” is better understood as “godly,” – those that live in close relationship with God. God’s “good” can only be in us because He has declared us “good” based on the reality that we accepted the cleansing and forgiveness for our sin offered from the blood of His Son when we entered into a relationship with Him.

Both the “evil” and “good” all are sinners! Those that live close to God are seen as “good” while those that keep their lives to themselves, not interested in what their Creator desires for them, are called “evil.” The first are sinners that have trusted Christ to forgive their sins, the second group have kept their sins and plan their own way to please God.

More importantly, a passage like this points out the main thing humans hate…accountability. It asks two difficult questions: What did you do with your life, and more important, what did you do with Jesus Christ? So many only consider the first question…reluctantly. The thought of dying and having to answer for our life is very uncomfortable for most. Ironically, the second question is so much more important and actually takes care of the first question. Entering into a relationship with Jesus Christ produces a new life that is based on an eternal perspective and empowered by a perfect and Holy God! You will not live perfect, however your desires will change to seek what He seeks, your purpose will become focused on eternal issues and you will sense a destiny that no one can take away.

The So What: Just one question…What have you done with Jesus Christ?

Simplicity leads to Peace!

2 Corinthians 5:18–20 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

Some questions concerning my last Devo, which discussed ministering within your “giftings”, surfaced that I believe should be answered. Just like the enemy has a strategy in his approach to the war, we also need to seek God for His strategy through us. What is very important is that we realize whatever that strategy is; the goal is always reconciliation. There are as many ministries as there are individuals, that is how powerful our God is, however, in the end, they all have one goal – reconcile individuals to God and to each other. I have learned over the time I have spent in ministry some simple truths that help me remain focused. Please understand, knowing these truths are far easier than practicing them…I have learned that!

* Concept of Strategy = K.I.S. – Keep It Simple! No matter the ministry if we apply some simple truths we will find the ministry God has led us to far more fulfilling, which will lead to peace, not burnout.

Consider these:

Personalizing versus Reinventing: Each one of us needs to have ownership of our ministry, but many spend so much time reinventing, so it can look original. That is silly because what Solomon said is true, there is nothing original! What’s important is to take what is out there, digest it, and then apply it with your personality. God made each of us unique.

Convicted Living versus Self-Serving: Spending time with the Holy Spirit, in the Word and praying, so that whatever you do is coming forth from a deep understanding that God led you to this, not your ego. 

Ego creates an agenda mentality and guarding “our territory.” God desires us to be very firm in what we believe we are doing, yet hold it loosely,                                                                      so He can tweak it.

Massing Troops versus Bubble Living: This is why discipleship is essential! You cannot do it all! God desires us to pour ourselves into others and then set them free to follow the ministry with God their way! Cloning is not God’s desire; it is our way to control. God desires conforming, molding our character into Christ’s, while keeping our personality. God does not want us to build our ministry “bubble” and try to get everyone in there with us.

Taking Advantage of Momentum versus Marketing: We are not “selling” anything! Our goal is to lay out God’s Truth concerning reconciliation, and then allow people to decide for themselves. So we can use the culture, the holiday, and what is popular as bridges to communicate God’s message, but we never change the message. That’s what makes our ministry so easy, it’s not our message, it is God’s! If people have a problem with that, their issue is with God, not us.

The So What: Have you taken time to evaluate what you do in your life? How much of it is influenced by the world? Do you see your job as a job, or a ministry? Do you believe you can do almost anything and God can use it? If so, why? If not, why?

Understanding the War Pt 3

Whenever we prepare ourselves for the war we are in, it is vital that we understand the goal of our enemy. Too many have been impacted by Hollywood and it’s image of the enemy. Believe me, because I have experienced some pretty frightful things on the mission field, I do believe that our enemy can do many things that would terrorize most of us. However, making your head turn around or having you float around the room is not our enemy’s norm. At the end of the day what he really desires is to have us crash and burn and become unused by our Lord. With that in mind I wish to approach this last part from an unexpected view for most of you. 

First let’s review our priorities involved in our warfare.

First we need to Know our Purpose:   

Second we need to Know our Enemy:

Third we need to Know our Weapons:

God has equipped us with many weapons, first and foremost, Himself in the Person of the Holy Spirit. We also have Prayer and the Armor of God from Eph 6:10-18.

I want to bring to light another set of weapons that many do not consider, and I believe it is one of our enemy’s greatest secrets, because we miss this part of his strategy.

I have witnessed for decades how children of God become

discouraged in their walk and cease being effective for the Lord. What they don’t see is the enemy was using a weapon they did not recognize…ministry! If the enemy can get you to minister outside of your giftings, you will be in constant frustration, and exhaustion which will lead to burn out.

It is essential that we slow our lives down enough to allow God to show us where our gifts lie and...how, when exercised in ministry, we become fulfilled and content in our walk.

Romans 12:3-8 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.  And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 

The So What: Have you asked the Lord to show you your gifts? What do you do for the Lord that energizes you? How is the family of Christ affected by what you do for the Lord? Is what you do for God a burden or something that brings fulfillment?

Understanding the War Pt 2

1 Peter 5:8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 

When DD and I moved with our children to a different culture, so far away from America…not just in miles, we tried to prepare ourselves for new trials. At that time kidnappings were many and we knew we would face dangers we did not deal with as a Pastor in the USA. However, I soon learned that the enemy thinks differently than we do. I remember when I was attacked in a way I never thought I would be. I was in my back yard cleaning up when I suddenly felt water hitting me. I looked up – no clouds – then I saw in a second story window, my landlord urinating! I had prepared to even die, but not this! No…I did not break out in a chorus of “Showers of Blessing”, but the Spirit of God engaged me to remember my landlord did not know Christ. After a quick shower I went to his house, he was drunk and very ashamed. The way I handled it allowed me to witness to him for another year, the enemy wanted me to respond in the flesh and burn that bridge.

Understanding the war first requires that we know our Purpose.

Second: Know your enemy:

Sadly, we usually go to extremes. Either we ignore his existence and think ignorance will spare us, or we become enamored by him and spend all our time trying to discover something new about him. I find it so ridiculous that there are books 6 inches thick on Satan and demons, when the Scriptures have very few pages dedicated to this topic!

The best way to know your enemy is to study how your sin nature works – that is how he will approach you most often. Know your weak points, this will help you be prepared for his attacks.

Ephes. 6:11 Put on the full armor of God, that you may be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 

The word “schemes” in the original is where we get our word “method”. Satan does not have a “one size fits all” approach. His attacks are custom made for each one of us.

It is important to know our enemy, but not to become infatuated with him!

Revelation 2:24 ‘But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them—I place no other burden on you.

The So What: How well do you know your weak points? Do you see patterns in the way you are drawn into sin? Do you spend most of your time getting to know Christ? If you know the Real Truth don’t you think identifying a fake will be easier?

Understanding the War. Pt 1

I was on a trip recently and was asked: Since you believe in spiritual warfare, what recommendations would you give to others about how to conduct themselves?” As I contemplated that question, trying to keep it simple, I boiled it down to 3 main truths that we need to know.

Know our purpose:   

Amos 3:3-7 Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so? Does a lion roar in the thicket when he has no prey? Does he growl in his den when he has caught nothing? Does a bird fall into a trap on the ground where no snare has been set? Does a trap spring up from the earth when there is nothing to catch?  When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble?  When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it? Surely the Sovereign LORD does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.

This was the difference between WWII and Vietnam! All the soldiers were the same, dedicated and committed to defend freedom. However, WWII soldiers saw a definite purpose because it was clear to see where the evil was. Vietnam was so different, so many messages were being sent and it was very confusing. Also, the generals were not allowed to conduct the war. Soldiers became disheartened as they experienced trying to win a war when the White House and politicians, who did not really know what was going on due to distance from the war itself, were running it.

We are in a very different situation! Our General has been clear about His objectives and even laid His life down for that purpose! We need to know what we are doing and why. Not every detail and not even the temporal outcome. Yet we have the clear teaching of what the outcome eternally will be! A clear vision of what God is saying to you. Ownership is a must! When you come to the reality that you were given eternal life for a purpose, and you are not here by accident, then you are able to see behind the scenes where the real enemy is conducting the war.

Scriptures state it the best:

Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

The So What: Do you know your call? Have you allowed the Holy Spirit to show you your gifts? Have you asked Him to? Are you a person that has a job that happens to be a Christian, or are you a Christian and everything you do flows from that?

Don’t Let The Facts Get In The Way Of What You Believe!

Probing Proverbs 14:15-18  Only simpletons believe everything they’re told! The prudent carefully consider their steps. The wise are cautious and avoid danger; fools plunge ahead with reckless confidence. Short-tempered people do foolish things, and schemers are hated. Simpletons are clothed with foolishness, but the prudent are                                                                                   crowned with knowledge.  

My title is obviously nonsensical, yet describes the state of our world today. Individuals are not only willingly ignoring facts, but are many times adamantly pursuing what they want, no matter what the facts are! This section of Proverbs describes with precise detail the various behaviors that individuals have that expose a foolish mentality. As usual this is compared to the behavior of individuals that desire to live wisely. I want to focus of the foolish this time, in order that we all will be challenged concerning our own behavior, while quickly pointing out how those that walk in wisdom behave.

The wise; meditatively travel the path of life, move with discernment, avoid evil, and treasure applied knowledge.

The foolish read something in a paper or on social media, hear something on the radio or TV, and believe it! No investigation needed, and even if facts to the contrary follow, it makes no difference! They do not measure their steps, but with arrogance push their belief on everyone. The minute a fact contradicts their agenda; they do not deal with the issue, they attack the person that brought forth the fact! They move to enlist others in a plan that does not deal with the facts, or the truth, instead brings a gang mentality together to destroy the person they believe is interfering with their agenda. So gripped by their own agenda, they repeat their lies over and over again…most times louder and louder, thinking through many words their version of the truth will prevail.

In my 60+ years I have experienced the huge difference between agenda driven living and Truth living. So let me share two realities stated in Scripture that have led me to seek Truth and leave my agenda behind:

Matthew 6:7 “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.

Even with prayer – the fact is; to enter God’s throne room you need the Key, many words will not work! So it is with Truth, saying something over and over does not make it so!

Psalm 37:12–13 The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming.

The fact is, God…in the end…will shed His light of Truth on everything, then all the agendas in this world will mean nothing…except perhaps an accusation against those that pushed that agenda.

The So What: When you read, hear or see something on TV, do you just believe it? When facts go against what you believe, how do you deal with that? Do you shut your mouth and listen to the answer to a question you asked, or do you behave the way so many in media and politics do today, continuous interruptions? If someone famous gives their opinion on problems facing this world, how much weight do you give their opinion? Why? Is a “theory” a fact?

What’s Your Plan?

Probing Proverbs 14:12-14 There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.  Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when the laughter ends, the grief remains. Backsliders get what they deserve; good people receive their reward.

Reality is so very hard to deal with. When I left Hawaii with my wife to go to Bible College, one of the most difficult things was that I had to say goodbye to my mother, who had been very sick beginning in her 30’s with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My worst fear was realized when at the beginning of my SR year I received a call on a Saturday at 1:00 AM. For some reason, I sensed it was about mom, and when I picked up the phone, that familiar echo that happened with long-distance calls was there. Young people today do not understand what I am talking about because technology has removed that problem, but back then if it was long-distance you heard the echo. My dad said, “Mom is gone.” No matter what I desired, demanded or expected, the fact was my mom had left this temporal world and moved into eternity.

Fortunately, for my mom and myself, she had trusted in Christ with me just months before when the Lord allowed me to visit her the summer after my Jr. year of Bible College. It did not take away my grief, but it did change it! I did not grieve as the world does with no hope.

This section of Proverbs communicates three very harsh realities that we should heed. First reality, each of us chooses a path to walk in life, and we believe it is right. Many walk a path that claims they can custom make their own way to God, and I do not doubt their sincerity. 

Some, like me, believe that Scriptures describe only one path that leads to God. The reality is we all cannot be right. The Truth is the Truth, no matter how much we believe otherwise. Even Paul admitted that if Christ did not rise from the dead, then what he believes is wrong! The second reality, if your heart is heavy with grief, you may be able to numb that reality with drugs, pleasures, riches or fame for a time…but at the end of the day, when all the distractions are removed, you will have to face that grief. The third reality, unless God shows mercy, all of us will reap what we sow.

So here are some questions to consider: How much time have you invested in seeking the Truth concerning eternity and eternal life? If you believe you will exist forever what is your plan of salvation, and what evidence do you have, beside your own preferences, that this is The True Plan? No matter how good life is, it will end. What will happen after that…regret and grief, or joy and life? God offers mercy to those that do not desire to reap what sin sows; are you willing to ask for His mercy?

The So What: What do you believe about eternal life, and why? Where did you get your belief system? Are you taking someone else’s word for that, or are you proving it to yourself by asking tough questions and applying the answers?