Pastor Hurst

WHERE ON YOUR SOUL ARE YOUR EYES?

WHERE ON YOUR SOUL ARE YOUR EYES? The appearance of an animal reveals the life it was created to live. The very placement of its eyes says so much about its life. Animals which are prey have their eyes on the side of their head. This allows them to see danger coming from most any direction. Think rabbit. Animals which are predators have their eyes positioned on the very front of their face. This allows them to target and focus on the prey they pursue. Think coyote. The writer of Hebrews informs us where we Christians should have our eyes. As we run this race of life, we are to have our eyes latched upon Jesus who has proceeded us on this path (“looking unto Jesus,” Hebrews 12:2). The eyes of our soul should be positioned forward facing. A Christian gets in trouble when his eyes get on the back of his soul. He then is always looking backwards—backwards to Egypt, backwards to the world, backwards to hurts, betrayals, and failures. Looking backwards, he soon trips trying to go forward. Likewise, a Christian gets in trouble when his eyes are positioned on the side of his soul. He then is constantly looking around him. He notices what others are doing. He sees one failing and thinks, “If he can’t make it I can’t either.” Another is seen participating in this world but seemingly blessed and anointed of God. The Christian with eyes on the side says, “If it is o.k. for him, it’s ok for me,” and ends up entrapped in a pitfall. Eyes on the side of the soul see every hypocrite, every gossiper, every hurter. Soon that Christian just sits and watches, going nowhere, or worse, he flounders. When Peter walked on water, he had eyes on the front of his soul seeing only Jesus. When he sank, his eyes had moved to the side seeing only wind and wave. Yes, the placement of a Christian’s eyes on his soul says much of the life he is living. If your soul could be photographed, where would your eyes appear on your soul? Front, side, or back?

GOD, FOG, AND FREEDOM

Here's but one example why I believe God had His intervening hand involved in the founding of our nation: It was the first great battle of the Revolutionary War, the largest to that time fought on our continent and a crushing defeat for the rag-tag Continental army. General Washington and his army had retreated and now were in a dire predicament: Trapped with Brooklyn and the British army in front of them and the East River to their backs, all were waiting for the wind to change from the northeast, at which change the British warships would sail up the river and bombard the Continental soldiers into oblivion or total surrender. There would have been no United States today. But, the wind would not stop blowing. The conditions worsened with the skies growing ever darker, the temperature plunging, and the rains falling. An assessment of the situation concluded that in staying put defeat was inevitable, and, besides surrender, the only possible but improbable option for the Continental army was retreat over the East River to New York. If the storm lifted, the British army on its front would notice the retreat and immediately attack, destroying the army as the British ships moved up behind ending any attempt of escape. The colonies would return to the rule of Tyranny. But, as the next day dawned, the storm continued as arrangements were made for escape and boats collected. Time came to begin the retreat across the river. At that time, the rain stopped. In the darkness of night at eleven, the winds died making possible ferrying over the river the many soldiers on small, overloaded boats . The boatmen worked feverishly all night, but there were just so many soldiers. By day break, when inevitably the British would observe the retreat and attack, a huge part of the army was still stranded on the Brooklyn shore. But, just as the night that had concealed them was lifting, a heavy fog fell upon them. It was as difficult to see in the morning as it had been in the night. Even as the sun climbed higher and higher and should have burned off the fog, the fog held on, covering the retreat. Amazingly, just a short distance on the other side of the East River where the Continental troops were disembarking on the New York bank, there was no fog. The sun was brightly shining. Just minutes after the last of America's troops had escaped from Brooklyn and marched onto New York, the fog lifted. The red-coated enemy could be clearly seen on the opposite shore surprised and disappointed that all the Continentals had escaped to fight another day. Nine thousand troops escaped without the loss of even one life. It is very hard not see a Providential orchestration of their escape, and, consequently, the freedom of the United States. It wouldn't have happened without Divine intervention. Likewise, none by their own ability or efforts walks away from the bondage of sin, Satan, and this world. God, through Christ's work, orchestrates the escape.

YOU'VE READ IT, RIGHT?

A recent post on social media asked for thumb's up applause for making the statement that the "U.S. Constitution is ___________"(An expletive I won't write.) and "needs to be revised." I thought one response to the post poignantly precise: "You've read it, right?" Often, I've wanted to ask critics of the Bible that: "You've read it, right?" I have heard folks from news commentators, talk show hosts, college students, university professors, politicians make derogatory, demeaning, doubtful, dismissive claims about the Bible. Their claims are often so outrageously erroneous that it cannot be they have actually read the Bible. They may have cherry picked some phrases out of context, but they have never really read the Bible to understand it. People make outlandish charges and criticisms about so many things. To make such rash judgment on the Bible or other things, as did the post on the constitution, presupposes some things: The maker of the judgment has knowledge and understanding of which he criticizes. Honest criticism has been qualified by an effort to absorb, understand, and process what is being maligned. "You've read it, right?" The maker of the judgment is in a position qualifying him to make it. The men who drafted the constitution, primarily James Madison, and, more accurately, the men who contributed to the ideas embodied in the Constitution knew what living in tyranny was all about. They made great sacrifices and paid a great price to arrive at a place where they could actually have a country and adopt a constitution. Beyond that, these were men who were real scholars, greatly knowledgeable of their times, of history, of philosophy, and of theology. Their work should be understood before judged. The maker of the judgment is superior to those who crafted what is criticized or has an alternative that is superior to it. Those who sit in judgment of the Bible should realize that the Bible is actually sitting in judgment of them. There is the story of two men standing on the sidewalk looking into a taxidermist's shop at an owl in the window. They harshly castigated the appearance of the owl and how poorly the taxidermist had stuffed it to make it look so badly. After several minutes of their arrogant appraisal, the owl turned its head and blinked its eyes. One better watch criticizing the Bible as a dead book written by dead men. It is alive. It is really doing the critiquing. One would discover that if he would read it. By the way, You've read it, right?

DAD'S DEMONSTRATION

My dad is a quiet man. He has always shunned positions that demanded being in front of people or leading people. He turned down supervisor jobs at work. He turned down nominations to church leadership--although for many years he did serve as deacon. Some have insinuated in the beginning of my ministry that it would have been to my advantage if my dad were a minister. Perhaps so. Perhaps, there would have been some advantage to name recognition and the experience that would have been afforded my being raised in a preacher's home. Of course, Jesus Himself didn't have that advantage. He was a carpenter's stepson. The fact is, my dad has been a tremendous help to me in the ministry: First and foremost is his example. Dad, got up really early, 4:30 a.m., I think, for work. Sometimes, at that time, having to go to the bathroom and noticing a light on, I would see in the other room Dad either reading his Bible or bent over at a chair praying before work. That example has been a constant motivator to me for keeping up my private times with the Lord. Also, in those days of late night revival services, often leaving church at 11:00 p.m. or later, Dad still attended every service our church had. Second, there was his common sense instruction about life and ministry. For example, over and over he'd remind me, "In the church never take sides (doctrine and morality excepted)." Lastly, he has always spurred me on to prepare myself for greater usefulness. When I was first called to preach, he came to my bedroom holding a sheet of paper and said something like, "Called to preach, huh? If you are, you will memorize these." He gave me a long list of Scriptures to memorize. To this day those Scriptures come back to me as I minister. He goaded me on to work through the lessons to get first my Christian Workers while I was yet a teenager, then my license, and finally my ordination papers. But the greatest thing of all I've mentioned was the image branded in my mind of his kneeling and praying before work. Thanks, Dad, for the demonstration of true faith.

Why Weren't Both Unfaithful?

It is a supposedly serious report: Global Warming causes infidelity. The places that have an alleged increase in the effects of Global Warming have an increase in adulterous affairs. When you look into the report, it isn't Global Warming that supposedly causes the increase in infidelity but the "stress" about Global Warming. Seventy-two percent of the five thousand respondents to a survey blamed stress over bad weather for their extra-martial affairs. Yet, the report was that Global Warming caused the infidelity. It was not considered that Global Warming could be non-existent but the propagandizing claiming it is real could yet cause the stress. Global "Warming" was blamed because those in hotter places, Miami, Florida, for instant, were more likely to report this phenomenon. Did none consider the infidelity increase in Miami might be because folks are wearing less clothes there and on its beaches than say in Juneau, Alaska? (And, yes, environment is "a" factor). Besides those problems and others with the report the underlying premise is what is most disturbing. That premise is that people's behavior is determined by the environment. This determinism is paralleled with those who seek to explain bad behavior as the inevitable expression of genetics. Others would say it's not the weather or genetics but socio-economic status that causes wrongful behavior. It is interesting to me that the societal pop philosophy that believes everybody should be free to choose to live and do however they wish also tells us that people are only doing what weather, genetics, economics dictate. This blame something other than the person's willful choice, this determinism, is an attempt to absolve folks from personal responsibility. This "I am not to blame" had its debut in the Garden soon after creation. Eve informed God, "It was the serpent's fault." Certain Christian movements adopted a spiritualized philosophy that takes the responsibility away from the individual. Lust is caused by a demon of lust. You act the way you do because of a generational curse. Yes, there are demons who encourage lust, and there are spiritual effects of one generation upon another. And yes, genetics can affect temperaments and propensities, and a hot summer's day can make it more conducive to lose one's cool. Yet, that is the thing about man created in the image of God. He can choose. He can choose to act contrary to what his genetics or environment might dictate. In the garden God planted two trees one of Life, the other of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God was letting humanity know, "You have a choice." If it were only about environment and genetics, Adam and Eve would have never sinned-they lived in a perfect environment with perfect genetics. If it were only about environment and genetics, many folks would never be converted. No. It is always more than that. It is "Whosoever WILL." Whatever your environment, genetics, or economic status, you can by grace be saved! God's given you a choice. (By the way, why would only one spouse in a marriage in Miami be unfaithful? If it is the climate, why weren't both unfaithful?)

BEING TOUCHY ABOUT BEING TOUCHY

It, I know, is probably because I'm not the touchy-touchy kind of person. I understand that by temperament some people can't even talk to another without constantly throughout the conversation reaching out and touching that one's arm, hand, etc. Yet, for whatever reason, I'm still uncomfortable with it. It seems to be an in vogue church buzz phrase. Recently, I have heard a pastor leading worship, a preacher in his sermon, and a singer before he sang each say it. What? "Reach over and touch your neighbor and say..." Reach over and touch your neighbor? I really don't want to sound nit-pickingly critical (so just take this as a personal quirk), but for some reason that puts the brakes on my worship or listening to the Word. There is just something about it that makes me wonder about its origins and purpose. It just seems awfully horizontal in worship. The encouragement to touch someone is accompanied by the instruction to say something to them. It is usually a repeat of a phrase or line (or paragraph) of the sermon such as "Reach over and touch your neighbor and say, 'I ain't going take no lip off the devil.'" During worship one might be coached, "Reach over and touch your neighbor and say, 'God's been so good to me, I'm going to shout and dance and praise His name'." As a pastor, I must admit, I have been tempted to say, "Reach over and poke your neighbor in the ribs to wake him up." but not, "Touch your neighbor." "Touch your neighbor" just seems so different from "shake hands with one another." I'm sure it confuses children once they get old enough to leave children's church and Sunday School and come to worship in the sanctuary. In Sunday School they hear, "Let's keep our hands to ourselves. Stop touching (hitting, poking, grabbing from, etc.) those around you." Then they come to worship and hear, "Reach over and touch your neighbor." When I was growing up in church, one of the favorite worship and revival songs was "Reach out and touch the Lord as He goes by." It recalled to our minds the example of the hemorrhaging woman who reached through the milling crowd and touched the hem of Jesus' garment and was healed. I just wonder: In our worship have we gone from "Reach out and touch the Lord," to "Reach over and touch your neighbor?" I can just hear it now. "Pastor, quit being so touchy."