Post-Modern Idolatry

Then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the temple of Dagon and set it by Dagon. And when the people of Ashdod arose early in the morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. So they took Dagon and set it in its place again. And when they arose early the next morning, there was Dagon, fallen on its face to the ground before the ark of the Lord. The head of Dagon and both the palms of its hands werebroken off on the threshold; only Dagon's torso was left of it. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day. 1 Sam 5:1-5 (NKJV)

We know from the first two of the Ten Commandments that idolatry is a sin. We know that Our God, The Only God will not tolerate the worship of other gods. The people of Ashdod happened to be worshipers of a god that they had named "Dagon." Dagon, looked like a monster from a bad Science-Fiction "B" Movie. Leave it to the sea-going Philistines to come up with a god-monster that was half man and half fish. Anyway, like most superstitious people the Philistines build their god from materials, such as wood and stone, and an overactive imagination.

Dagon flunked his first real test when The Ark ("Yes," the actual Ark that was depicted in the "Raiders of the Lost Ark") was placed before Dagon. During the night something strange happened--Dagon fell on its face--bowing before the Ark. The people of Ashdod put "their god" back into place only to find that the next verse was the same as the first. Only this time they found Dagon bowing before the Ark without a head and hands. No-one rescued Dagon this time--they would not even enter the building where this was all taking place. I guess we all know "who" the real God was!

In a post-modern world, most of us are not as superstitious as the people of Ashdod. We do not believe in idols and gods carved from wood and stone. Does that mean that idolatry is no longer a problem? Maybe we do not struggle with the worship of physical idols; however, anything that comes between us and God, is problematic. The actual idols simply serve as a focal point to what superstitious people believe in their minds. Is it possible that we can embrace new ideas that become the focal point of post-modern idolatry? The answer is "YES!" The Apostle Paul gave us this sound advice: "Casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor 10:5 (NKJV)

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I want to be Biblically Correct, not Politically Correct. I want to believe what Your Word says and not be swayed by the popular thinking of the culture. I want my values to reflect Your values. Please renew my mind and help me to take Paul's advice seriously--that I cast down every vain argument that claims to be more enlightened than Your Word. May I be a faithful servant and soldier of the Cross! Amen"

Who Are You?

Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. Acts 19:11-16 (NKJV)

The Bible tells us that demons tremble at the name of Jesus. I wonder if they have any reaction to our names? We know from the story of the seven sons of Sceva that the demon powers were also readily aware of the Apostle Paul. Furthermore, we know, from other stories in the book of Acts, that Paul had the power to cast out demons, so the demons were a bit leery of the great Apostle to the Gentiles.

Some other people wanted to get in on the current wave of exorcisms and so they commanded the evil spirits by saying, "We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches."  It seems like a comical thing to say and a crazy thing to do--but, they had observed Paul in action and it seemed like a winning formula of words. The seven sons of Sceva decided to give in a whirl... It all seemed to be going so well until the evil spirit spoke back to them. "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?" Then the evil spirit--in the body of the man possessed, jumped on them and proceeded to exact a painful revenge.

"Who are you?" In Christ Jesus we are more than a conquerors. Without Christ we are weak and lost. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Without being in the vine we can do nothing. In Christ, we can take on the impossible, because with God all things are possible. Without Christ, even the possible becomes difficult. "Who are you?" When it comes to matters of Spiritual Warfare--I come against the powers of darkness in the name of Jesus whom I believe in and preach of. "Who am I?"  A son of God--a follower of Jesus Christ--a soldier of the cross--an enemy of darkness...

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, there seems to be quite a battle going on in our world. The influence of darkness is pervasive in the culture today. It has sadly invaded and influenced those that attend church. The church seems to have lost ground and momentum and has not awakened to the fact that it has taken place. Lord, awaken Your people. Shake the church. Return us to our first love. Start with me! Amen"

How Far Would You Go?

I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God,and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Romans 9:1-5 (NKJV)

First responders, such as paramedics, firemen and the police; often put their lives at risk for an opportunity to save others in need. Who can forget the heroic efforts of these brave individuals on 9/11! This was not the first time that first responders died to save others, and the same kind of bravery has been repeated many times since. Some might argue that the risk of bodily harm is simply a part of the first responder's job description. Still, it takes real conviction and courage to rush into a burning building in order to save someone.

The Apostle Paul was filled with passion for the his lost brethren and was willing to put everything on the line in order to save them. "For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren." Talk about setting the bar high--to wish myself damned in order that some might be saved? That is the exact price that Jesus paid in order to take my place. The Prophet Isaiah foresaw the atoning work of Christ and the extent that Jesus was willing to go in order to save us: Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5 (NKJV)

I have some friends who just made the decision to leave the comfort of their "very secure" and long tenured jobs in order to engage in missionary work in Indonesia. They are stepping out of their comfort zone--they are putting their future retirement at some risk--they are walking into the unknown...all for the purpose of reaching people for Christ. I admire them; however, I also realize that I do not need to move to the other side of the world to become involved evangelism. I can reach people right here. Here is the question that I must answer: "How far am I willing to go to reach the people around me?"

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, I am confident that I have not fully grasped the love that compelled You to rescue me. I would like to be bolder in my effort to reach people with the Gospel, but feel too often I find my own timidity getting in the way. Fill me with boldness. Fill me with new passion for the lost. Fill me with the conviction that I must do whatever it takes to reach those that don't know you. My I take greater personal risks in order to save some! Amen"

Life and Peace

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:5-6 (NKJV)

It seems as if all the young actresses and pop stars who achieved fame as children and teenagers start walking down a path of self-destruction before they attain the necessary maturity to handle life. Drugs, alcohol, parties, deviant behavior, legal problems, fights, breakups, infidelity... The family members of these famous "artist geniuses," are set aside for an entourage of enablers. Fortunes are squandered, talent is wasted, opportunities slip away, relationships are destroyed, reputations are earned, and potential is never realized. The Apostle Paul simply states:"To be carnally minded is death." That is essentially the same message that is impressed on the young star that ends up in rehab, where they are told: "Your behavior is killing you."

Contrast the life of the carnal person who is living life in the fast lane with the life that God has in mind for His people. "To be spiritually minded is life and peace." Martin Smith, lead singer of the group "Delirious" wrote the following lyrics that describe the Christian walk: (From the song - "Walk With Me")

In Your presence Lord there is peace, there is rest
In Your presence Lord there is life that never ends
In Your presence Lord there is joy there is joy
In Your presence Lord there is life that never ends

The difference between the carnal life and the spiritually minded life is essentially amplified by two very real factors. The carnal life is negatively impacted by its own destructive behavior which sows nothing but heartache, pain, trouble and failure; whereas, the spiritually mined life is blessed by God. I have personally tasted of God's goodness and enjoyed His favor and blessing--I cannot imagine trying to go through life alone with only my own resources to deal with the challenges. I love the idea and the reality of life and peace.

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, so glad to know that You are with me. SO GLAD TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE WITH ME!!! Even in this moment, I am aware of Your Spirit ministering life and peace. I can breath knowing that it is well with my soul. Every day that I live on this earth, I count myself as blessed--for You are good, and there is no end to Your mercy, and there is no end to Your grace, and there is nothing that can separate me from Your love! Amen"

Three Truths

"God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble." Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. James 4:6-10 (NKJV)

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is a question made famous by Art Linkletter and often asked to children. If you were to ask my brother that question when he was in first grade he would have sincerely answered, "A Squirrel." Here is the point--children grow up into something, and that something will be determined by the decisions that they make. The choices that are made will have a profound effect on the quality of life in the here and now, as well as eternal implications.

In a short few verses, James rattles off three mind-blowing truths that have a huge impact on life. Three truths that set the direction of destiny in one's life. Here they are:

• God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
• Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
• Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up. 

If we take these truths seriously--and we should--we need to carefully examine our hearts and make an honest evaluation of ourselves. Here is what I take home from these challenging truths:

1. I cannot afford to be proud. If God is set against me, because of my pride, life will be more difficult by a large measure. 
2. I can always reach God. Our God is not the god of Bette Midler's, "At a Distance." Jesus was God in the flesh--the Holy Spirit is God in you. If you are spiritually hungry, you can and will be filled!
3. If I humble myself--submitting my life to God--He will, in His perfect timing and according to His perfect will, put me into the places of influence where He wants me to make a difference. 

Although I wish that I had taken these truths more seriously as a young man, it is never too late with God. The question remains--from this day forward will walk in the light of these truths allowing God to bless my life, or will I continue to live life "my way?" Let us hope that I have learned my lesson by now!

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, strange are the creatures of Your creation. We know--absolutely know the way we should live, only to fall short. We are logical beings and yet we often act in illogical ways. We need to be rescued from ourselves! Thank You for sending Jesus to save me. Thank You for sending the Holy Spirit to live in me. You have given me the power to overcome the sickness of sin and no chain of behavior is too great for You to break. You have my gratitude! Blessed be the name of the Lord!! Amen"

7 x 70

Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. Matt 18:21-22 (NKJV)

Most of you have heard the saying: "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me." You already know what this means: If you trust someone and they end up falling short of your expectations or purposely act adversarial towards you--shame on them for taking advantage of your trust; however, if you extent trust to them a second time and they once again fail to live up to your expectations--shame on you for trusting them. There is a good bit of common sense that can be derived from this saying, but it does not take the high standard of Christian grace and forgiveness into consideration. 

How do we mesh this common sense with the unbelievably high number that Jesus gave us when it comes to forgiveness? If I am to be honest about it all--Peter's number of seven seems to be very generous to my antagonist. (Let someone stab me in the back seven times? Yikes!!!) So, how do we go about forgiving people who sin against us over and over again? What do we do with those who decide to enter into an adversarial relationship with us, overriding our considerable effort to make it otherwise? This is one of the greatest challenges of the Christian walk.

The answer to this challenge is not simple nor particularly easy to put into practice. Here are three practical ideas:

• Humble yourself. There is no possible way to accurately evaluate others if we do not see ourselves as we really are. When we understand the depth of our own duplicity and the grace necessary for God to forgive us, it brings about a greater level of humility in our lives. We have been forgiven much!!!
• Lower your expectations. Sometimes we set ourselves up to be disappointed by other people, because we have unrealistic expectations. Recognize the fact that everyone is flawed and falls short of the glory of God. 

• Be prepared to forgive. In the words of Carrie Fisher: "Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die." It will not be helpful to your spiritual walk to hold the sins of others against them. Better to release them from your judgment--put them into the hands of God and move on. 

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, You said in Your Word that I cannot hate the brother that I can see and love the God that I cannot see; and yet, I find it much easier to love You. Fill me with a greater capacity to forgive and to love. Fill my life with the same kind of grace that You extend towards me. I also pray that You would give me favor in the eyes of others that I might live in peace with others. Thank You for hearing me! Amen"

Spiritual Pro-activity

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NKJV)

Of course, I could tell you all the kinds of activities that you should try to avoid as a Believer. I could write books and preach a series of sermons that would last for years warning you of the sins, addictions, and forgive me, foolish behavior that you would be better off avoiding altogether. Think with me for a moment--most of the news that you read from news outlets is negative. Too often--"we" who are teachers and preachers, fall into the same trap and preach a very negative message. "Wait! I thought that the Gospel was suppose to be 'Good News!'" 

If we, the Church, are to teach a broad spectrum of God's truths, it is impossible to avoid everything that might be considered negative. On the other hand, most of us already know that we are damaged goods. I can hear the voice of Linda Ronstadt now, "You're no good, you're no good, you're no good, baby you're no good." Message received loud and clear!! Cutting through all the negativity I hear another voice saying, "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more." I like this voice--I need to listen to this voice--I need to cling to the message this voice brings.

The Apostle Peter gave us a recipe of spiritual pro-activity that will lead us to live a life of fruitfulness. Here are some "wonderful" activities that you can passionately participate in without fear or condemnation. Live virtuously. Obtain and pursue knowledge. Be disciplined. Stay under control. Show grace when under fire. Draw neigh unto God. Practice kindness. Love people. Trust me--if you give yourself to a pro-active lifestyle filled with these noble pursuits--you will probably be too busy to do any of the "thou shalt nots" that preachers like to preach about!

Prayer: "Dear heavenly Father, may I pursue Your will and Your Kingdom to the point that I leave no room for foolishness or nonsense. You are my treasure and greatest passion of my life. It is in those times, when I take my eyes off of You that I tend to get myself in trouble. So, Lord, I ask You to empty my life of the vain pursuits and fill my life with the things that are pleasing to You. Please know that I love You, and I need Your power and strength in order to be transformed. Do Your good work in me! Amen"