Monthly Archives: August 2024

SUBMISSION – A BEAUTIFUL PRINCIPLE

Christian Life, ,

There is a requirement in the Christian life that addresses the flaw at the core of our human nature…it’s called submission. How hard it is for us to surrender ourselves with our selfishness, and our self-centred wants and desires, to the will of another.

This flaw already rears its ugly head in a toddler, for example, by a display of uncontrolled frustration when he can’t get his own way.

Selfishness slowly erodes harmony in a family until the home becomes a war zone between siblings, and between parents and children.

Why is submission so often neglected in the rearing of children, so hard to learn, and so strongly resisted on every level of society, from the home to the school and into the workplace and beyond?

When Adam’s love and submission to God were tested, he chose self over his Creator. So, this characteristic of selfishness was cemented into the inner being of every person descended from Adam.

God’s grace implants a new nature in the heart of those who believe in Jesus and… grace enables us to overcome our selfishness but….grace does not remove the self in us. God left the old nature there for a purpose.

Let’s go back to the beginning. Before sin intruded and destroyed the harmony God intended in human society, He gave the first pair His order for marriage and the home.

Genesis 2:18, 21-24 NLT
[18] “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.”…
[21] So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man’s ribs and closed up the opening. [22] Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man. [23] “At last!” the man exclaimed. “This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called ‘woman,’ because she was taken from ‘man.’” [24] This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.”

Since God is a God of order, He requires the order of authority and submission to be applied on every level of society to maintain harmony and functionality. Starting with homes as the building blocks of society, God gave husbands the role of leader in the family. This leadership involves responsibility and accountability. The buck always stops with the person in charge.

To the wife, God gave the role of helper. After the fall, this order was entrenched in the marriage bond.

Genesis 3:16 NLT
[16] Then he said to the woman, “I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”

This means that she was intended both to assist and submit to her husband’s leadership role. Where the husband leads with her help, she follows and accompanies him together with her children in their attitude to his husband/father role.

The role of children is to learn submission and obedience to prepare them for their future roles as husbands and wives.

God’s order is both simple and functional. However, there can be no harmony when one or another refuses to remain within the boundaries of his/her own role.

In God’s church, humble, mutual submission is the cornerstone of unity which God prizes greatly in His family.

Psalms 133:1-3 NLT
[1] “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony! [2] For harmony is as precious as the anointing oil that was poured over Aaron’s head, that ran down his beard and onto the border of his robe. [3] Harmony is as refreshing as the dew from Mount Hermon that falls on the mountains of Zion. And there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, even life everlasting.”

Ephesians 4:3-6 NLT
[3]”Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. [4] For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. [5] There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.”

When God’s people fail to understand how significant this precious ingredient is in the life of His family, a pastor becomes a firefighter rather than a shepherd of God’s flock.

Why did God leave this old selfish nature in us to coexist with our new godly nature? Did He not realise that our hearts would become war zones and our lives a constant battle between flesh and spirit?

That’s exactly what He planned. Had He not deliberately set up this situation that needs His constant supply of grace to overcome, we would never learn this most important and most beautiful lesson in this life to prepare us for the next. Jesus said, “Without me, you can do nothing! “

Unity is the hallmark of the Trinity. The ancient Isaelites were to learn and proclaim this truth from birth.

Deuteronomy 6:4 NIV
[4] “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.”

The Hebrew word “echad” implies, not a singular entity but unity (of being and purpose), unity in diversity. Consider this instruction regarding the tabernacle coverings….

Exodus 26:3, 6 NIV
[3] “Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five….
[6] Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit.”

The word translated “unit” is the same Hebrew, word “echad”.

God’s oneness is displayed on every level of creation. Despite the presence of sin, the natural world functions as a unit and remains in balance without human interference. Creatures live in harmony with their natural habitat, and even preditors and prey remain in balance within God’s order.

Humans are the only creatures who upset God’s order when they refuse to obey His instructions. We only have to observe the chaos we have created by plundering rather than managing the earth and its resources.

Imagine what our earth and society would be like if we lived in harmony with one another in God’s order of authority and submission.

This intended order does not work in human society outside the church because selfishness inevitably takes control in the world system. Lawlessness increases, people demand their rights, protest with violence, engage in strikes, marches, and protests of one kind or another to get their own way, whether their demands are reasonable or not.

However, in God’s kingdom, the beauty of harmony can only happen through God’s grace and power, helping us to subdue and reign over self for the sake of unity. Unity, Jesus said, is evidence that the Father sent Him….

John 17:21 NLT
[21] “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me.”

… and mutual love tells the world that we are His disciples…

John 13:34-35 NLT
[34] “So now, I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.
[35] Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Mutual submission’s powerful motivation rests in our attitude to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:21 NLT
[21] “And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Once again, it’s all about Him.

WE ARE… BUT NOT YET

Christian Life, ,

A few mornings ago, a thought struck me that has occupied my attention. I suppose one would call this an anomaly. The Bible says that we are complete in Christ…

Colossians 2:9-10 NLT
[9] “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. [10] So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.”

… and yet, I am sure we know how incomplete we are. Again, the Bible confirms our incompleteness in this life.

Philippians 3:12-14 NLT
[12] “I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. [13] No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, [14] I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Life in this body is a continual struggle to become what we already are. However, we don’t give up because there is a prize awaiting us too valuable and precious to lose.

Our understanding of God’s truth is incomplete…

1 Corinthians 13:12 NLT
[12]”Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”

but….

We run the race to win a prize that we only dimly perceive through the gloom of our earthly incompleteness. Our hardships and suffering occupy so much of our attention that we are often in danger of losing sight of the goal….

but…

Like long-distance marathon runners, our attention must be on the road over the hills and valleys lest we trip and fall along the way. However, unlike runners in a race, we must plod on, day after day, week after werk, month after month, not knowing how and when we will reach the finish line.

Like the Apostle Paul, we must finish the race if we are to achieve the completeness that God promises us and has prepared for us before time. What is the prize for which we run the race?

If our struggle in this life is against the fleshly desires which threaten to drag us down and disqualify us, then the goal is to become like Jesus in the life to come. So John could write…

1 John 3:2 NLT
[2]”Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is.”

For me, the beautiful thing is that God sees us already complete in Jesus. He also knows how difficult the race is. He knows the pitfalls along the way. He knows how weak we are. He knows what temptations trip us up. He knows everything about us that helps and hinders us in this race. He provides all the grace we need and tests us from time to time to help us evaluate our progress in trusting and obeying Him, the two most important qualities that will take us to the finish line.

God is our partner in this race. He is determined that we will complete the course and gain the prize. He has promised that He will finish what He started.

Philippians 1:6 NLT
[6] “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

So, the Bible encourages us never to give up.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NLT
[16] “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. [17] For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! [18] So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.”

Jesus is our example and our champion. He never gave up, even to death. He is with us all the way to the finish line, encouraging, strengthening, and urging us to keep going to win the eternal prize.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NLT
[1]” Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. [2] We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.”

Only those who finish the race will win the prize.

So, we will be able to say with Paul, at the end of our race,

2 Timothy 4:6-8 NLT
[6] “As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near. [7] I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. [8] And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.”

HOW DO WE DEAL WITH SPIRITUAL HIGHS?

Christian Life, ,

Have you ever had a spiritual “high” so glorious that you thought the next step was heaven, only to slump into depression and despair soon afterwards?

I had that experience years ago. I had written a short play based on the life of Esther, which a group of girls performed at a ladies’ function. They did it so well that I ecststic. The next morning my heart was so heavy after the emotional overload that I shut myself away from people. All I wanted to do was cry! Why? My reaction didn’t make sense. I should have felt on top of the world instead of wallowing in emotional “mud”.

As much as I hate to admit it, depression was a big player in my early adult life. You see, my “love language”, according to Gary Chapman’s book, “The 5 Love Languages” is affirmation. Without affirmation, I felt cheated

Reflecting on the experience now, what was it that sent me into such an emotional “tailspin”? Was it because I didn’t receive the volume of accolades I thought I deserved? Since I have come to understand the mechanisms of depression, I know that, at least in my own life, self-pity triggers depression. So, if I identify the cause of my self-pity, and repent of the sin, the depression immediately dissipates and peace is restored.

Self-pity is the outcome of spiritual theft. By desiring accolades for myself, I stole from God what was rightfully His, the honour for the success of my effort. After all, was it not He who inspired me to write? Was it not He who gifted me to write? Who gave me the idea? Who enabled the teacher who produced the play and the girls who performed it to do so well? Once again, it was all about perspective.

My thoughts turned to the Bible.

Elijah had a similar experience of emotional overload that sent him into deep depression. He had won a remarkable victory over the evil Queen Jezebel and her fleet of prophets of the idol, Baal. Elijah had risked his life by challenging this mob of prophets to a dual only God and their gods could fight.

This battle was about the true God of Israel, Yahweh, versus the false god, Baal, as a witness to Israel that their worship of Baal was false and futile. The prophet Elijah represented God. 450 false prophets represented Baal.
One against 450! In the end, this conflict was not about numbers; it was about truth.

Of course, God won an astounding victory and Elijah was vindicated. 450 prophets of Baal lost their lives, no doubt at the hands of the Isaelites. Was Jezebel, the power behind King Ahab, convinced! No! She was livid! Elijah must die!

In a panic, Elijah fled to Mount Horeb in Arabia. Jezebel would never find him there! He hid in a cave on the side of the mountain to sulk and lick his wounds. Instead of a revival in Israel, a mass turning to the Lord that he had anticipated, all he got was a death threat from an angry queen and no support from the people. What was he supposed to do now?

Elijah had slumped into depression!

Self-pity? PMS… Poor Me Syndrome had paralysed his reason. When God questioned him in a whisper,

1 Kings 19:13 NLT
[13] When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

only self-pity came out.

1 Kings 19:13-14 NLT
[14] He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.”

What triggered Elijah’s crash? Did God disappoint him? Did he blame God for not coming to the party? Was he devastated because he got no accolades for his great victory over the prophets of Baal? All his hopes and expectations had crashed around him.

Euphoria changes to depression when we turn the focus away from God to ourselves. Despite our foolish notions, we are never the cause of success, only players in God’s bigger scheme of things.

Musing on Elijah’s situation, truth began to dawn on me as the Holy Spirit opened my mind to His ways.

How did God respond to His servant’s misery? First, a great display of power. Earthquake! Wind! Fire! “What do you want me to do, Elijah? Do you want me to display this kind of power to your people to change their hearts? It didn’t work on Mount Cartmel.” God said nothing.

When the dust and ashes had settled, God whispered to His prophet, “Tell me what’s wrong.” When Eljah had aired his complaint, God responded in His way.

God’s word to Elijah was a light bulb moment for me. His power to intervene lies, not in great displays of natural disasters but, once again, is His Word. He is working to a pre-determined plan, slowly but surely moving history towards its conclusion. He works through His Word. Herein lies His power.

Elijah’s part in this plan was not to bring about a massive revival in Israel. His part was to move history another step forward in obedience to God’s instructions. “Go and anoint three men for their function in history and, don’t worry, Elijah, you are not the only one left who serves me.”

1 Kings 19:15-18 NIV
[15] “The Lord said to him, “Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. [16] Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. [17] Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. [18] Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”

Gone Elijah’s depression! Empowered by a new purpose, he returned to Israel to carry out the Lord’s instruction.

Great lessons emerge from this story.

Spiritual “highs” are a danger to us when we lose perspective. What we achieve is always, and only about Him, not about us. Self-pity is a stepping stone to depression. Giving glory to God is the way to stay “up” in spirit.

Beware of those who equate God’s power primarily with miracles and great displays of supernatural disaster. Yes, God does these things but God changes people from within, and changed people change situations by applying God’s Word.

God moves history according to His plan by engaging obedient servants to carry out His instructions. We may not understand His ways but that must never hinder our obedience to His Word.

Thank God for lessons that tame our unruly hearts and bring us into line with His will in our expectations, in our prayers, and in our obedience to His Word. We need to learn to do a lot less talking and a lot more listening.

ANOTHER LIFE LESSON FROM THE ORCHID

Christian Life, ,

Mealie bugs are the tiny critters that lay eggs in blobs of white fluff, mostly on the underside of my orchid leaves. By the time I notice them, the damage is already done. They suck the juices from the plant, leaving dry patches that eventually cause the leaves and buds to die.

I spray the white fluff with surgical spirit, which dissolves the fluff, instantly killing the critters hidden inside. Then I rinse the plant to wash away dead bugs and the surgical spirit that also damages the plant.

What a lesson for me about sin! Like the bugs hidden in the fluff, looking quite pretty and harmless, sin hides inside attitudes, and actions that seem harmless enough. However, hidden in the apparently outward acceptability is a deadly “bug” that sucks the life out of us.

The “white lies” we tell to cover our tracks can eventually lead to such confusion that we begin to believe our own lies. Even worse, we become angry people, driving a wedge between ourselves and others because we on the attack to defend our lies.

What of young men who hide their lust behind the disguise of “love”. Manipulation! The vulnerable young girl becomes the “bud” on which the “bug” lays his eggs, leaving a broken young life while he goes on his merry way to find another unsuspecting victim.

Sin has is just like that. Disobedience to God’s Word seems harmless enough. Nothing drastic happens at the time but the effects are long-term and devastating. Our appetite for His peresence and His word slowly diminish as our spritual life is sucked out of us. The process is slow and hardly noticeable at first. A little compromise here and there, then, a little less of God and a little more of me until I finally let go of Him and I fall off the “plant”.

1 John 2:15-17 NIV
[15] “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. [16] For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. [17] The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

The solution is to keep inspecting the plant for the tell-tale evidence of the bug hidden inside. More of the “fluff” of worldly attraction is a sure sign that the bug is biting.

Paul’s counsel is drastic but effective. Apply the surgical Spirit to the infestation.

Romans 8:12-13 NIV
[12] “Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. [13] For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”

No child of God dare host the critters of worldly desires and activities. If we do, we will die. Put to death, by the Spirit’s power in us, those desires, that pull us away from God but choosing to do the right thing, by persusyenylyvchoosingvto seek the Lord and to feed on His Word. David’s solution to the “mealie bug of sin is simple.

Psalms 119:11 NLT
[11]”I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

LESSONS FROM NATURE

Christian Life, ,

Genesis 1:24-25 NLT
[24] “Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. [25] God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.”

It amazes me how foolish people can be who refuse to believe the evidence in front of their noses in favour of a theory that makes no sense. God Himself told us to look at nature if we really want to know the truth about Him.

Romans 1:20 NLT
[20]”For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.”

Even if people refuse to believe that there is a God, the natural world with all its unity and complexity silently proclaims both the wisdom and power of a designer/creator.

I love nature programs on TV, especially those that display the wildlife animals protected in our game parks. I have never seen any species reproduce the offspring of another group. Even those who have deliberately been crossed with another variation in their own species are sterile, for example, lions and tigers, horses and donkeys. Variations in the species happens…white lions and black leopards…but they remain lions and leopards underneath their fur.

Another evidence of God’s wisdom at work in animals is the way that nature, left to itself, will regulate and keep in balance all its wild creatures. As much as we hate to see beautiful antelope, for example, becoming the prey of carnivores, if it were not for the control of the numbers of herbivores through predation, the land would not be able to sustain overpopulation by browsers and grazers.

It has been proven in the USA, for example, that the absence of wolves in certain areas has led to an explosion in the numbers of deer that has decimated the land. So, we can only conclude that a wise creator set in motion a planet that can run itself if left to itself without human interference.

It also amazes me how instinct controls animal behaviour. Take, for example, the way a lion pride functions. If it were not the instinct in male lions to fight and take over a pride that has been ruled by another dominant male for several years, the gene pool would not be constantly refreshed.

Maternal instinct is a powerful force in the natural world. A mother will ferociously protect her young unless her own life is threatened. She knows that preserving her own life is more important than saving the life of her offspring at her expense. If she dies, two lives are lost.

Elephants are fascinating creatures. I learned that young males who have left the herd to roam alone or in small groups become a problem when their testosterone rages unchecked without adult supervision. The solution is for an older male to join their group. He wrestles with them to exhaust their energy until their testosterone subsides and they are eventually old enough to mate.

Elephants are highly emotional animals. Other animals that lose a herd member or offspring will be aware of the loss for a short while but elephants will mourn and pay respect to the carcass of a loved one by touching or even lifting the bones with their trunks. Each one will take a turn to say goodbye before they move on.

How endless are the wonders of nature. It boggles my mind to think that all this could have happened by chance! How can changes in one creature that produce another creature of a different species happen without the evolving creature dying during the millions of years it takes to make the change. Even more bizarre is the claim that certain species have remained unchanged for millions of years while others have evolved into something different. How does that happen? Why didn’t crocodiles change into birds?

The notion that there is no God is probably the only reason for this rediculous theory. If people didn’t hate God, there would be no need to propogate an idea that lacks logic or reason.

Even more foolish is that people substitute for God creatures that have no power to affect or control their lives unless they get in the way of preditors on the loose. Why worship the things that can only harm us?

Worship is to give honour to and submit to the authority to some being more powerful than ourselves. Human are born with that need and capacity to worship. Can monkeys, for example meet that need, yet millions of people worship monkeys among the pantheon of their gods.

The natural world obeys the laws that control their existence. The creator has set boundaries around them that control and direct their behaviour, so why not humans? Even my orchids, as amazing as they are, can only flourish within the boundaries of their own species.

We were made to worship God, to love Him and serve Him as His sons and daughters. We were created to live within the boundaries prescribed by His Word. When we obey Him, we flourish. Whe we cross those boundaries and think that we can safely make our own rules, we destroy ourselves.

When we refuse to carry out God’s instructions to manage the earth and its resources, we destroy our environment, waste our resources and end up in poverty and distress.

I cannot help referring to the example of many crises in my own country. Neglect, mismanagement, and incompetence have left many communities without running water and with raw sewage fouling up the environment and polluting water supplies. What happened? For many years, officials ignored the rules. They did their own thing and, for most of the time, that meant doing nothing. They earned the salaries without doing the work.

God functions within the boundaries of His own law. Imagine what would happen if He didn’t! For example, He adheres strictly to the law of the harvest.

Galatians 6:7-8 NIV
[7] Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.
[8]”Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

This law applies to the spiritual world as well as to the natural. When we choose to destroy ourselves by refusing to obey God’s laws, we have no one to blame but ourselves and…the consquences are, unfortunately, irreversible. You cannot sow carrot seeds and hope to reap strawberries! You cannot sow lawless behaviour and hope to reap eternal life.

So, the solution is….obey the gospel of Jesus and His salvation and you will reap an eternity of bliss in God’s heaven.

Romans 6:20-23 NIV
[20] “When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. [21] What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! [22] But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. [23] For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”