Purity: Is It Optional?

When have you heard anyone use the word purity except in describing water? Purity of water is a life or death matter worldwide. Why should we be surprised to see how important purity is to our heavenly Father?

I heard Andy Stanley ask that question recently and was surprised to realize that the word seems to have gone the way of horse collars, blacksmiths or the Elizabethan ”thee and thou” of the King James Bible.

I saw an illustration on Face Book about the transition of coal to diamond. All it takes is great pressure (which I’m sure the coal never voted for) and time—lots of time. I remembered other images I heard of years ago about allowing God to perfect, or purify, our lives, but somehow it never occurred to me that the process could be painful.

Matthew 3:12 describes God sifting out what is not good and useful to Him. “His winnowing fork is in His hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." That doesn’t sound like gentle handling, but it's not optional in His view-- it's necessary. (I don't want to be considered chaff!)

And take clay for instance. I had in mind the image of nice, cool clay, gently caressed and coaxed into shape, but no.   First the Potter slaps it onto a wheel and twirls it and twists it and shapes it into the form He desires and then to make sure the change He created is fixed, He puts it into the fire. Ouch! The result is something useful, often a thing of beauty.

A sword is traditionally a necessary or lifesaving tool for a Warrior, as is a knife to a Hunter. Base material is alternately softened by fire and shaped with hammer and anvil to temper the metal, make it strong. The result is an effective, dependable tool He can trust.

A Gardener carefully separates and destroys weeds from His crops. He places a protective fence and guards His cultivated garden from birds or animals, thieves who come to steal or destroy.  

Most cities have museums or parks with beautiful sculptures honoring someone whose memory is respected by figures in stone, shaped by an Artist from rough, jagged, muddy stone dug from the ground and transformed into His vision of beauty, not gently changed, but with hammer and chisel.

Deep within the earth’s surface, mixed with common soil and gravel, A miner finds gold, powder or tiny bits, not all that attractive, but He knoss how to purify it. You guessed it: after washing the mixture to separate the impurities, He uses fire to refine the yellow matter into something beautiful.

One thing all these products have in common is that their destiny is in the hands of their Creator and discomfort or pain is usually involved to create something of great value. Why should we not expect some discomfort--or sadness--in our lives? We can trust our Creator and allow Him to form us into the image of His Son, ridding us of our blemishes and brokenness, revealing our true nature as children of our King.                                        

                                                            THE SUN

Fire melts butter, so they say;

Why does the sun then harden clay?

Now the question comes into play,

Does the sun pity butter, or hate the clay?

Does it bestow its heat upon a whim,

Or is the difference in the two of them? 

What mystery is held in the sun's kiss?

I suspect the truth is merely this:

Clay resists the Son's presence,

While butter yields its essence;

O Lord, create in me, I pray,

A heart of butter, not of clay.

      

Define Obedience-Who is the Intelligent Being?

Watching Rachel’s dog Charlie when they came to stay gave me fresh insight at a loving relationship between two very different beings. He is a big white dog who could easily ignore her and do as he pleases, yet his eye is always on her, listening for her soft voice or the slight click of her finger-snapping in correcting him. He sits at her feet, leaning his huge head against her knee, waiting for her to speak.

When she is not in sight, he paces the floor, eyes searching for the one he loves and trusts above all others; he acknowledges that she provides everything he needs and will keep him safe. He's uneasy, on guard when she is away but relaxes in her presence. He trusts her to keep him safe, he trusts her guidance to order his day. He craves her presence, her voice to guide him, to give him a task.

I don't have to wait for the presence of my Master. He has promised never to leave me. He will guide me (when I allow it), He is patient when I misbehave and sure to forgive my wandering when my eyes  return to Him, hungry for His word.

While I know the One who provides my every need, down to the very breath I draw, I wish I were as obedient, less willful in having my own way, picking my own path. Charlie knows Rachel loves him and shows his complete faith in her. How much more love my Heavenly Father shows me daily and forever!

Here Come the Judge

A while back, the comedian Flip Wilson found a way to insert this phrase into his TV show every week. The audience began to anticipate it, ready to laugh. "Here come the Judge."

What isn’t funny to me is that I have begun to realize that I, that most of us in fact, seem to claim that by-line almost daily. We judge ourselves and others around us. We can always find someone who’s a worse person than the one smiling back from our mirror. Compared to (fill in the blank), I’m not so bad. The only problem with this: God doesn’t  compare us with each other; He gave the world Ten Commandments for us to compare ourselves to, so we would see that no one of us lives up to His standard of perfection, personified by His Son Jesus.  He doesn't grade on the curve. His math is a simple binary choice, based on our response of yes or no.

God either sees us through the veil of the blood Jesus shed to pay our sin debt or He sees us in our unforgiven state, condemned to death by our refusal to accept the incredible gift of Jesus’s loving sacrifice. As great as His love for us is His justice and hatred of wrongdoing, knowing our sin nature condemns us all, God sacrificed His Son to pay our sin debt and offered each of us a pardon from the death penalty--It's our choice to accept or reject.

Even when we have accepted His gracious offer of eternal life, without realizing we're doing it, we often rate people's behavior as we go through our day. How often do we whisper to ourselves "He just ran the light on deep orange. He could cause an accident." or "Those kids are causing an uproar in the store--what kind of mother lets them behave like that?"

What do we say to someone who refuses to see God's love "because no god he would worship would let someone die of cancer" or "God of love? He would never send anyone to Hell if He loved them"?

Not only do some of us judge each other, but also dare in our lack of understanding to judge Holy God. God sees us as dead or alive in Christ, and sees all sin a death sentence. Can we then decide which sinner should be punished? If not God's judgment, whose should we accept? There are probably those who would judge you or me and condemn us. Who elected me Judge?There has to be an absolute standard, and by trusting Him to have answers to all our questions, I should take off the black robe and resign. Let God do His job.

For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.   Romans 3:23

For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:14

For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. Matt 7:2

Our Worst Enemy

I’ve often heard it said that “you are your own worst enemy”.  Andy Stanley made this truth easy to understand in his series comparing happiness vs. pleasure.

            The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they
            may have life and have it abundantly. John 10:10

I always thought this “thief” was the devil, tempting us to waste our talents and resources, and it's true that he hates us, but Andy went right to “you are your own worst enemy”! When we choose temporary pleasures, we are killing our peace with God, missing the abundant life we could have.

"No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and

love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the

other. You cannot serve both God and money. Matthew 6:24

Spending our resources, energy and time (which is limited) for temporary whims leaves us spiritually and physically depleted, ill-prepared for life’s trials and burdens, bankrupt when it counts! Psychologists tell us that repeated behavior becomes a self-perpetuating habit, whether good or bad. A bad habit will imprison us; with each repetition it intangles us deeper in its control. We are no longer free; we are slaves. The good news is we can choose our master!

Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as

obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey--whether you 

are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which 

leads to righteousness?   Romans 6:16

Choosing pleasure (which is short-lived) over long term happiness through the obedient life is like buying a melting ice cream cone with a sorely over-used credit card. After the pleasure has passed comes the stress of paying the bills. Andy points out that by choosing obedience first, you can have both happiness and pleasure. Choose pleasure first (since it has diminishing returns as you  give it control in your life) and you lose the pleasure that habit once gave as well as happiness. If I am going to be a slave, or servant, I prefer a loving Master who cares for me. That’s Jesus Christ, who died for me.

          
          I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for
          the sheep.     John 10:11

My Computer by Doris Lakey

Like many people I know, I have a computer. Oftentimes I realize it's smarter than I am. It has rules for operation. If I ask it to do something contrary to those rules, it sits and blinks its eye at me, politely refusing to comply. I wish I were as compliant to my Creator's rules for my behavior, but as I said, I'm not as smart as this machine and sadly, too often I prefer to do things my way.

Furthermore, when I brought it home I had certain jobs in mind for my PC and miraculously it already knew how to do these things (and many more); however, I had to learn how to speak to it in ways it understood before it would do my work. First I had to enter a password before it would listen to my request for action; then imperfect understanding caused me much frustration. 

What I found most amazing is that the day I bought it, all these possibilities belonged to me--it's in the warranty! It promised many things I will never in this lifetime learn how to access, They are all there, bought and paid for, but not yet accessible to me. Not its creator's shortcoming but my own. Over time, I have increased my knowledge by reading its instruction manual and spending hours at the keyboard practicing my skills and memorizing the correct procedures. Operator knowledge comes gradually over time, opening many of its promises for my benefit.

A lot like my spiritual life. I aspire to complete obedience, but have not yet been willing to devote enough of my time to perfect my relationship with my Creator. But I have learned the password--Jesus said: I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.(John 14:13) Now, that doesn't mean I have a personal genie to fulfill my daydreams; it means I'm expected to ask for things He wants for me, like greater understanding and abilities to fulfill His plans for my life, loving and helping others along the way.

I am still learning to ask unselfishly for an outcome pleasing to the Father above, still studying the Operator's Manual. Proverbs in the Old Testament was written by King Solomon, perhaps the wisest man in history.  He gives a simple first guideline for making our best daily life decisions--beyond that we must go through the New Testament looking for Jesus's words written in red. Then continue with comments written by those followers who studied at His feet for three years as He explained His kingdom. Whether or not I ever understand all the promises I received when I committed to the Lord, they are all waiting for me in the fullness of time. If there exists a volume "Christian-living for Dummies", I suspect it's the book of Proverbs; although its practical living hints are wise for anyone to follow, Christian or not!

This world exists at God's command, and while in this world, no one will understand all of His creation or purposes for our lives. It's as if we are looking at a complex designed tapestry from the messy backside, unable to discern what He's creating. All we can do is practice what we have learned that He wants us to do, how we should live, and trust Him for the full story to be revealed in Heaven. He will unfold our future one step at a time.

Thy word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path.   (Psalms 119:105)
                                                              

God is in the Small Things

Whether or not we have ever read the Bible, several parables Jesus told His followers have made their way into general knowledge and are familiar to most of us. Vaguely recalling the gist of the stories, we may pigeon-hole them along with fables such as the ant and grasshopper, the race of rabbit and turtle, the prodigal son, the wise man who built his house on the rock vs. the fool who built on sand, the wise pig who built his house out of bricks, the rich man and Lazarus. (What's wrong with this sentence?)

Jesus used every-day circumstances in the lives of His followers to resonate with their hearts so they would understand deep spiritual truths. His followers today can also see and benefit from these many parables. But there's more to be found. . . .

Looking back over eighty plus years of my personal story, I now can see many lessons God has lovingly imbedded in my daily life that were not readily visible when I was preoccupied with my own reactions to my situation. There are those who say God shouldn't be expected to oversee every little detail of our lives, but if He takes the time (he owns time anyway) to note when a sparrow falls, it's no chore for Him to insert spiritual truths into tiny corners of His beloved children's lives every day. Like golden Easter eggs nestled in the fertile heart of one listening for His voice, seeking guidance. Like personal parables, just for me!

That's the origin of these writings I call Parables, Proverbs and Pearls.

Each of you dear Readers can look within and find little love notes from our Holy Father, left just for you. I pray you will watch as you go about your day and find new treasures for your heart.

True Worship

From the sidelines, the many ways of worship can seem confusing. It can take so many different forms in different places; even  if you confine your interest to followers of Jesus Christ, its practice can vary so greatly from church to church, sometimes it seems like they have very little in common.

 Going by first impression from an outsider, attributes noticed in a first visit to a Catholic church is a predominate feeling of reverence, of God's holiness, awe at a powerful, remote God best approached through a priest. A stranger might mistake their many beautiful statues as points of worship. The atmosphere might feel heavy, quiet, somber.

A stranger in a Charismatic church might at first think he had stumbled into a rock concert; the very walls seem to vibrate with joyful noise. He may see people dancing or cheering like they would for a favorite football team. Eagerly members rush to greet and embrace newcomers and envelop them in loving arms. Joy, maybe a frenzy of happiness, sound, and music surround you. It might occur to a first-time visitor that no one there suffers from normal life's problems, or at least they left those concerns at home.

An Evangelical church at worship may seem sober, serious, emphasizing good works, centering around Bible study, worship in music, and seeming to use any opportunity to explain their faith: their mandate is to "leave no one behind on judgment day", by boldly proclaiming their faith. Yet some seem almost to doze, or check their wristwatches as if eager to get on with their after-church day.

In my Grandmother's day, there was little apparent joy in Christian life; there were duty and responsibility and work. Sunday was a holy day limited to worship, rest and family. No domino or card games on the Sabbath. No commerce done on the holy day. Church congregations took responsibility to censure or even ban a member perceived to be unrepentant of his unholy behavior. She summed it up once to my mother, "You weren't put here to have fun." The grace in her life was centered in music. She played piano during the Sunday School hour and raised five of her seven children;  two of them became musicians and two singers; one of the singers became a preacher.

Our cultural background may draw us to a particular one of these congregations, and true worship can be found anywhere God's people get together in mutual support, love and worship as they understand the Bible directs the church. God expects any true church to hold itself accountable to encourage and support each other, learning His ways and growing in His likeness.

Spoiler alert: Some congregations rebelled so vigorously at the harsh demeanor experienced in the past that they formed groups out there who profess love without accountability; they refuse to burden their members by labeling their unworthy behavior as sin. If a church tells you "a loving God won't send anyone to Hell", run, do not walk to the exit! Didn't the serpent tell Eve, "Surely, you will not die"? I don't understand it, but I know the Bible teaches there are two possible destinations ultimately; I trust in God's infallible justice and His unfathomable love.

We must look beyond the cultural differences between these forms of worship; it's imperative we look instead at the basis of faith we share. True worship of the one true God should in some measure have all the attributes mentioned above. Even though no single Bible-based church has all the facts, all share a common core value system.

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  Matthew 24:24