Articles

THAT SON OF YOURS LOOKS JUST LIKE YOU

Someone just last night told me something I hear often: "That younger son of yours looks and acts just like you-same mannerisms, expressions and all." That's scary. We parents duplicate ourselves. That's the inescapable thing about genetics. You pass your traits on to your children. Sometimes there is more of a blend of both parents' dominant genes. And then there are throwbacks from a more distant ancestor. Yet, our children bear our stamp. The same should be true spiritually. When we are born again as children of God by the Spirit of God, shouldn't we get the spiritual genes of our Father? Shouldn't it be noticeable that we have His likeness, His mannerisms, His expressions? I know that there are things other than genetics. Some things children pick up from the example of their parents. Some things are taught to offspring by their parents. But, genetics play a huge role. Some of his older siblings were teasing the younger son about not really being our child. Some one spoke up and said, "Anybody can tell that isn't true. All you kids look too much like your parents and like each other." When some one claims to be a child of God and bears no likeness to the Father, isn't there great reason to doubt? The word "gene" is rooted in the Greek word for "birth." If we are born of God, we will spiritually bear His genes. We will have His likeness. I don't know if my son will feel complimented or condemned by hearing he bears my likeness. But, it is of great compliment to the believer's life for another to note and comment on the likeness between him and His heavenly Father.

WEEK OF PRAYER AND FASTING

For the preparation of our hearts for the upcoming revival, here at Union Pentecostal Church this week has been set aside as a week of prayer and fasting. In times of peril or spiritual need, leaders in the Bible called the people to such times of concerted seeking God. We are asking that people devote at least thirty minutes each day this week to seek God for revival and that people take one day this week to fast. Both prayer and fasting have been made complicated subjects. In danger of being too simplistic let me describe prayer as "talking to God about it," and fasting as "instead of taking time with things you normally desire, taking that time to seek God." It's probably true that we Christians spend more time talking about prayer than actually praying. This week, let's not just talk, teach, preach, request prayer. Let's pray! Fasting is normally the abstinence from food. In the Bible a normal fast is not eating any food, though water is still drunk, from morning until evening of one day. These normal fasts were often, personally, extended over several days. A partial fast was adopting a special diet of abstaining from certain foods. An absolute fast was one of not eating any food or drinking any liquids including water. We are asking folks to fast a normal fast for a day unless they are led of the Lord otherwise. Since a fast is simply saying, "No" to one's usual desires in order to spend time saying, "Yes" to spiritual desires, one could also fast things other than food. One may choose to fast recreational electronics for the week. One may fast social media or television or radio. Whatever one chooses, fasting isn't about austerity of the body, or, on the other hand, health treatment of the body (and isn't just a way to lose weight). It isn't a way to show great will-power. It is taking the time you usually spend indulging natural and even carnal desires and directing your attention and affection towards God. The time spent eating is to be spent praying and reading the Word. Was there ever a time in Scripture when God didn't respond to sincere prayer and fasting? No. Never! This fact raises a needed ingredient for our prayer and fasting-faith. We should believe that God is going to respond. "You shall seek for me and shall find me." -God

KEEPING THE FLU FROM SPREADING

Everywhere and constantly on the news are reports and commentary about our nation's current flu outbreak. Although the media has probably hyped this story as it does all others, the fact that people have died from this flu outbreak is no hype. It is so very sad. My point is the justified alarm, outcry, and warning given this influenza flare-up. The stories rightfully all include steps at prevention: Three things are constantly stressed: Vaccination-get that shot, avoidance of contamination in social settings, and washing of hands. Get vaccinated: Get that shot. Get inoculated against the flu. Avoid contamination: Sneeze and cough in your elbow. Stand at least six feet from people. That doesn't seem to work in an elevator. Postpone shaking hands until the flu season is over. Wash your hands: This hand washing is the greatest prevention. Everything we touch is so germy. The flu is lurking on every surface. If this article helps you avoid the flu, great. But that wasn't my aim. I was thinking how folks will do all they can to avoid the flu even if it means going to the extremes. Yet, many Christians do so little to avoid being infected and contaminated by this world and sin. What if we Christians would seek to inoculate ourselves with the Word, prayer, Scripture memorization, etc.? What if we did all we could to avoid the contamination; not watching contaminating movies, listening to contaminating music, visiting contaminating places, and hanging with contaminating people? What if we regularly purified our hearts in faith, letting the Spirit move on us and the blood wash us? There would be a lot less outbreak of sin and worldliness in our hearts and churches. I do not minimize the flu, but the world and sin are far more harmful. Many locations are running out of flu shots. Thankfully, there is not, never has been, never will be, a shortage of the cleansing blood of Christ.

GOD IS IN THERE

Yesterday I was reading an e-mail from a preacher friend of mine. It was mostly just small talk about things he was doing in his ministry. Being a friend, I was interested. Suddenly it occurred to me that as I read his words, in my mind's imagination I was hearing the sound of his voice, even the particular way he inflects his words. I was seeing his face, the way he lifted his eyebrows and moved his mouth. Now this wasn't a rare, odd experience, I concluded as I thought about it. Whenever we read a correspondence from someone we know, his/her style and way of writing brings with it his/her very nature and being. It calls to our mind the person. We see and hear them through their words. That is in contrast to getting a letter from someone we don't know. I have never seen God physically nor literally heard His voice. But when I read His Word carefully the same thing happens as with my friend's e-mail. In my heart I hear and see the God behind the words, the One who wrote the Bible I read. His Word reveals Him. He is present in His Word. Bible reading is much more than learning historical facts about Bible times and places. It is more than learning the biographies of holy men, or marveling at their prophesies, poems, and psalms. Bible reading is even more than noting the teachings and doctrines it proclaims. Bible reading is hearing and seeing God. I could not separate my friend from his e-mail. He was in his writing. Likewise, God is present in His Word. A favorite song of many of us in the recent past was the one about the Bible that said, "Look, its in there-Right in the Word of God." True. But also true is, "Look, He's in there, Right in the Word of God."

WAIT UNTIL YOU CAN'T WAIT

"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him." (Psa 62:5) One man said that Pentecost was Christianity on its tip toes. Whatever picture that draws in your mind it implies expectancy. As a young boy I remember that sense of expectancy so well. In particular, there was that feeling that one got to feeling Sunday afternoon. We couldn't hardly wait to get back to church on Sunday night. We really expected God to move mightily by His Spirit. We were uncertain just what would happen, but we knew it would be unusual and exhilarating. We'd get the same sense during revivals. That's why people would come early to pray--not out of duty, but expectancy. Do we have that sense of expectancy? Do I? Do you? If not, how do we regain it? The psalmist knew how: We wait on God looking to Him to imbue us with that expectancy. If we look to the song service alone, we will discover there are no new hymns in the book. They are the same ones there for years. If we look to the preaching alone, we soon realize that it is the same preacher. If we look around to the people, they are the same people. We realize that these are not the sources of expectation. But, if we look to God, and wait on Him, we soon will be expecting much--even from the singing and preaching, etc. One thing is for certain, without prayer there will never be any expectation. Only by waiting on God in prayer will we begin to expect. Let's wait on God for that sense of expectancy. Let's wait (patiently seek) until we can't hardly wait (we are full of expectancy). Wait, until the youth can't hardly wait for youth prayer meeting and the adults for pre-service prayer meeting. Wait until we can't hardly wait for service to start, until we can't wait for the preaching, until we can't wait for altar service, and until we can't wait for the next service. Let's wait on God until we can't wait for God to move.

AN EMPTY BOX

Memories from childhood Christmases never leave. Today I was remembering one from when I was four or five. One grandmother lived in Oregon. She would send a box of wrapped presents to us kids. The gifts would go under the Christmas tree with the rest until Christmas morning. We took turns. It came my turn to open the present from Grandma. I ripped off the wrapping paper. I don't know if it was taped or what, but it took some tugging to get the lid off the box. Suddenly with a jerking release the lid came loose from the bottom of the box. I peered in expecting some delightful gift. Instead, I saw nothing. The box was empty! Tears well upped in my eyes. I cried. I couldn't help it. My young mind was rushing, "What kind of Grandma do I have to play a joke on me by sending me what appeared to be a Christmas present but was nothing but an empty box. Does she dislike me?" My parents and sibling began laughing. That really helped. Then one of my parent's explained. "When you jerked the lid off the box, the present flew out so fast you didn't see it and is buried in the wrapping paper lying around on the floor." Then someone dug into the paper and pulled out a pair of house shoes Grandma had knitted me. Grandma wasn't a cruel prankster after all. No, but the world is. Sins are wrapped in the most promising packages. People grab the pretty package with anticipation of pleasure. But, once they've ripped off the veneer and gotten into the box, there is nothing to it. They are left with only shreds of their torn lives and an aching emptiness in their hearts. Sometimes it isn't that the box of sin is empty but that it is filled with venomous vipers, ticking bombs, corroding acids, and other destructive things. God's Gift, first wrapped in swaddling clothes, was a child who would be Savior. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift!

THE LAST NOEL

As I stared at this space wondering what to write, "he First Noel" began playing on Pandora on my computer. There truly was that first Christmas. Listening, I am hearing about the announcement made to those poor shepherds, "Born is the King!," about a star lit night, about the wise men who had been following the star soon coming to the King. What a time it must have been-that first Noel-from the time Jesus entered this world as an infant in a stable, to the soon to follow announcement that brought the humble shepherds to gaze upon Him, to the later day when the wise men finally arrived with their gifts. There was the very first Christmas, the First Noel. But, what struck me as the word "First" grabbed the reigns of my mind was the simple thought that, as certainly as there was a First Noel, there will be a Last Noel. It is impossible that any of us should have been at the First Noel. But, could it be that we will be living to celebrate the Last Noel? Could this be our Last Noel? I'm not asking in the morbid reality sense of could it be the Last Noel because we may die next year. I am asking could it be the Last Noel because this coming year the King could appear the second time. Perhaps, even when He returns we will continue to celebrate His birthday, still have Christmas. If so, this could still be the Last Noel as we know it. It could be the last dominated by commercial infringement, the last where every attempt is made to edit out the Christ, the last celebrated with riotous drinking and surfeiting, the last marred by later credit card bills. As we with wonder celebrate the First Noel, may we also contemplate the possibility that this could be the Last Noel. We may have not been on earth at the King's first coming. But, we just well may be at His second. The Last Noel.

TRAIL MAGIC, I MEAN, BLESSINGS

Currently, I am reading about a thru-hiker of the Appalachian Trial. He had lost his wife to cancer. To try to recover and to hear from God, he quit his job to trek this 2,184 mile trial. In the book he is about half way. One of the delights among the multitude of difficulties this hiker writes of is "trail magic." Trail magic happens at place the trail crosses a road, comes close to a town, nears a private property boundary, skirts a parking area. The strenuous activity of thru-hiking depletes the body of calories and liquid. Packs must be kept light. Little food can be carried. Kind-hearted strangers, civic and church groups, or even former hikers will come to one of these places that touch the trail and distribute or leave food and drink and other refreshments. Some set up a grill and cook hamburgers. Others place cans of pop in the cold, rushing water of the streams. No hiker knows just when and where the trail magic is for sure going to happen. There are possible sites of consistent bestowing. But, for the most part these provisions of refreshment and renewal come as a welcome surprise. Trail magic is one of the most anticipated joys of the trail. Every believer is on a longer trail than the Appalachian. There is that narrow path to heaven the truly born again is traversing. Each believer that makes heaven will be a thru-hiker. Although Christians don't believe in "magic", each traveler discovers that God provides trail blessings (shall we say). When a traveler is weary, depleted, drained, suddenly there is a trail blessing to renew, refresh, reinvigorate. Appalachian thru-hikers never know when they start in the morning around what bend, over which hill, under what bridge, they will be blessed with trail magic. Neither does the believer. But, God is faithful. What you need to make it, He'll place on the trail.

HOW TO KNOW WHEN YOU ARE DECEIVED

Believers are warned strongly against being deceived. To be deceived is to believe something is true when, in fact, it is false. We can be deceived by other people or Satan, or we can deceive ourselves. The thing about being deceived is that one doesn't know he is being deceived. If he did, it wouldn't be deception. Someone emailed me an excellent question this week: "How does one know that he is deceived?" One can honestly believe his hair is all in place and that he looks great. He is deceived. Others can see that a piece of his hair is sticking up crazily and bouncing around at odd angles. But, there is a way that he can discover that he is deceived about his hair. He can look in a mirror. Suddenly, he is aware that he has been walking around thinking his hair was perfecto but all the while it was mussed. God's Word is that mirror. If a deceived person will hear and read the Word of God, the Word will be a mirror showing him where he is, not where he thought he was. The caveat here, James tell us, is that he not only hears the Word, but does it. If he doesn't act on what he has heard, the revelation that he is being deceived is fleeting. The deception closes back upon him. He may have been deceived by others or Satan, but by not acting on the Word, he walks away deceiving himself: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was." (Jas 1:22-24). There is another way for one to know he is deceived. Suppose the man with the bad hair day isn't around a mirror. He is walking around thinking every hair is in place. Good friends will tell him. "Hey, your hair is messed up." At his trust in their word, the deception is gone. He can get his hair right. Godly people who know the Word can tell us we are deceived. If they do, we should take their word for it. Is your hair all in place? Or do you have a strand sticking out catching everybody's attention? No? Are you sure?