A greeting that we Pentecostal's say without meaning it is "Praise the Lord!" It has become a cursory greeting that we say as we shake hands with folks while we make our way to our pews. I know it's cursory because I've sometimes replied with "I do" or "He is faithful!" Most often, the person doesn't even hear what I've said. If they do hear me, they turn around and ask me what I said? You did not expect me to actually "Praise the Lord!"
Last night while driving home from Chicago a speaker was talking about praise. I have no idea who it was. But his comment made me lower the sound and really think about praise.
I've heard it said, and I've even said it myself at times, children and dogs know when someone is being sincere. I think they have a built in antennae or an early warning system that helps them to discern when someone is being sincere.
You know when someone is being sincere when they praise YOU. I do. It's sort of like when one of your children has offended another child. You talk to them about how their actions have hurt the other person and you say, "Now tell them you're sorry." If you've not got your point across to that child, he or she will say "Sorry!" but it has no meaning because they were not sincere. I know you're chuckling.
We do that same thing when we're "praising God". Listen to one of my prayers. "Lord, I praise you. Thank you, Jesus. Lord, you are great! You are awesome!" And I can just see him up there in Heaven replying, "What for?" "I am? Yesterday you wouldn't even speak to me." Or how about the one that we say to our spouses, "Yeah, but do you love me?" See, we're seeking to validate the sincerity of the praise.
The key here is that the person giving the praise must be sincere for it to have any meaning whatsoever. In order to sincerely offer praise, then you must know that person. There is some characteristic, attribute or action for which you are praising that person for. You saw what they did; you heard about what they did; or you were on the receiving end of the action. You know specifically what you are talking about.
Praise is also something that we're supposed to do in the good and bad times. The Bible encourages us by saying "In everything giving thanks....." I have to tell you that's one of the greatest challenges of my life. How in the world am I going to be able to praise God when what I am going through is completely overwhelming me? I can't even remember without significant effort what good has been in my life. Ever been there?
What I realized last night that has energized me is that you can't really do that unless you know God and know what's he's done. I know that's pretty simple, but let me play this out just a bit.
I know that God can make something out of nothing because in Genesis I read that he formed the world, created the environment we live in today called earth, by his spoken word.
I know that God trusted Job so thoroughly that he challenged the devil to test Job and when it was all said and done Job ended up with more than he had before the test.
I know that God provided water out of a rock for approximately 6 million homeless people aimlessly roaming the wilderness.
I know that God heard the prayer of a general leading an army in the middle of the fight and made the sun stand still for half a day. I know that this is not just a story in the Bible but has been scientifically proven.
That's just a few things I know from the Old Testament. If you look at what Jesus did in the New Testament we can add raising the dead to life, healing the blind, the deaf, the crippled and calming the sea before it capsized the boat he and his disciples were traveling in.
If I begin thanking the Lord for these things........ "Lord, I know that you are able to create a world from nothing and hang stars in space by your spoken word." "You are faithful to provide water for 6 million people traveling in the dessert from a rock." And Lord your compassion and understanding are so great because I know you raised a son back to life when the mother was overcome with grief so deep she couldn't stop crying."
When you start praising him with specific things that you know about him and the things that you now remember he has done for you, there's no way that you can suppress the hope that begins to raise in you. If he can do that for other people, he can do that for you. How do I know, because I have also read his Word. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. He never changes. There is nothing that is impossible for him. He promised that we would never see a flood that wiped out the whole earth and gave us a beautiful rainbow as a reminder of that promise; and he has kept it.
You see, it contagious! I can't stop praising him because one thought leads to another and pretty soon I see his hand in my life and joy starts bubbling up! And now I know I am the apple of his eye and that he loves me and he is with me right now and he can and will take care of what began as an overwhelming obstacle in my life.
Warning! This is a repetitive action. Tomorrow you may be right back at the beginning feeling overwhelmed. No....wait, in a hour you may be right back at the beginning feeling overwhelmed...... But praise, sincere, specific and personal praise will lift you right back up to where you know that GOD is an ever present help in the time of trouble. He is able, waiting and ready to carry you through your day. He is with you always!!
So what are you waiting for? Praise the Lord!!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Growing Together; Side By Side
I’ve often wondered why God would allow the wheat and the tares to grow together until the harvest. Why would he allow this condition?
There are many examples that we can draw on to prove that he wants his people, the Jews and the church, to be a separate people. He commanded that the Jews not marry outside the Jewish race. He commanded Abraham to circumcise all male children 8 days old and upwards in order to create a physical difference between Jews and Gentiles. He even gave commandments that new wine could not be put into old wine skins.
So why do we see this anomaly where the wheat and the tares, the genuine and the fake, are allowed to grow in the same field for the entire growth cycle?
Now I have to admit to the true problem I have with this. How do I know what’s genuine and what’s fake? I don’t like being fooled. I get angry when I feel like I’ve been fooled. So I certainly don’t like it when I am fooled by people that I thought were Christians.
Let’s talk about the wheat and tares for a moment. Why this is such a big deal for me? Wheat and tares look much the same. An untrained gardener or farmer could not readily tell the difference. What if I find out that someone who I thought was a Christian is not really a “genuine” Christian? What if I am fooled?
Well, what if I am? It’s not my place to be trying to figure it out and pass judgment. Why am I trying to do that? Why do I feel that I have to examine it to that level and then, what? Refuse to be friends with them? Refuse to work with them? Refuse to go to that church? Run into the pastor’s office and tell him all about my “findings” so that he can what? Confront that person and make an example of them? Reveal the sinful person amongst us and cast them out?
No! A hundred times no!! That’s the spirit of the world. The spirit of Christ says “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1). A person who acts as I’ve described in the paragraph above is not a spiritual person.
Ok, so we restore them and work with them and they are not responding? They keep on doing the wrong things. So what? It still doesn’t change the scripture.
The main point in this parable is that if you remove the tares when you “see” or understand that they are not truly “Christians” as you define them, you might hurt a genuine Christian. Jesus put it this way when the disciples asked if they should remove the tares, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.” (Matthew 13:29)
Jesus is concerned that we not hurt other growing Christians by identifying and removing those who are failing; those who are “faking it”. So many times Jesus warned us about judging others. We’re not supposed to do that. A good reason not to, is that whatever measure we hold others to, we will be judged by that exact same measuring stick. Have you considered that? Are you ready to be held to the same measures and standards that you are using to judge others? Many times we are wrong in our judgment of others. It causes good Christian people who have been wrongfully judged or accused to be hurt so badly that they never come back to Christ.
I dont' have to wonder any more. The answer is love and restoration.
He loves us so much that he is unwilling to destroy any opportunity to save someone. He allows us both to be nurtured, fed, pruned, fertilized and watered until the harvest. He is giving us all an equal chance at salvation. Only when the entire growth cycle has been completed and everything that can be done has been done, does he separate us and burn the fake and save the genuine product.
He wants us to restore those who have failed with a spirit of gentleness. Gentleness is not a word we use very often today. It simply means kindly, with a gentle manner, not severe, rough or violent; mild, moderate, gradual. Why does it describe restoration in this way? He wants us to consider that one day, we may be in this same situation and that’s how you would want to be restored.
Jesus wants us to grow TOGETHER. Together so we don’t hurt one another; together so that all have a chance to be saved. Together until the day that he comes back and judges. Until then, grow TOGETHER is God’s plan.
The chorus of the song “We Will Stand” written over 20 years ago by Russ Taft, sums this all up.
You’re my brother, you’re my sister
So take me by the hand
Together we will work until He comes
There’s no foe that can defeat us
When we’re walking side by sideAs long as there is love we will stand.
There are many examples that we can draw on to prove that he wants his people, the Jews and the church, to be a separate people. He commanded that the Jews not marry outside the Jewish race. He commanded Abraham to circumcise all male children 8 days old and upwards in order to create a physical difference between Jews and Gentiles. He even gave commandments that new wine could not be put into old wine skins.
So why do we see this anomaly where the wheat and the tares, the genuine and the fake, are allowed to grow in the same field for the entire growth cycle?
Now I have to admit to the true problem I have with this. How do I know what’s genuine and what’s fake? I don’t like being fooled. I get angry when I feel like I’ve been fooled. So I certainly don’t like it when I am fooled by people that I thought were Christians.
Let’s talk about the wheat and tares for a moment. Why this is such a big deal for me? Wheat and tares look much the same. An untrained gardener or farmer could not readily tell the difference. What if I find out that someone who I thought was a Christian is not really a “genuine” Christian? What if I am fooled?
Well, what if I am? It’s not my place to be trying to figure it out and pass judgment. Why am I trying to do that? Why do I feel that I have to examine it to that level and then, what? Refuse to be friends with them? Refuse to work with them? Refuse to go to that church? Run into the pastor’s office and tell him all about my “findings” so that he can what? Confront that person and make an example of them? Reveal the sinful person amongst us and cast them out?
No! A hundred times no!! That’s the spirit of the world. The spirit of Christ says “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1). A person who acts as I’ve described in the paragraph above is not a spiritual person.
Ok, so we restore them and work with them and they are not responding? They keep on doing the wrong things. So what? It still doesn’t change the scripture.
The main point in this parable is that if you remove the tares when you “see” or understand that they are not truly “Christians” as you define them, you might hurt a genuine Christian. Jesus put it this way when the disciples asked if they should remove the tares, “No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.” (Matthew 13:29)
Jesus is concerned that we not hurt other growing Christians by identifying and removing those who are failing; those who are “faking it”. So many times Jesus warned us about judging others. We’re not supposed to do that. A good reason not to, is that whatever measure we hold others to, we will be judged by that exact same measuring stick. Have you considered that? Are you ready to be held to the same measures and standards that you are using to judge others? Many times we are wrong in our judgment of others. It causes good Christian people who have been wrongfully judged or accused to be hurt so badly that they never come back to Christ.
I dont' have to wonder any more. The answer is love and restoration.
He loves us so much that he is unwilling to destroy any opportunity to save someone. He allows us both to be nurtured, fed, pruned, fertilized and watered until the harvest. He is giving us all an equal chance at salvation. Only when the entire growth cycle has been completed and everything that can be done has been done, does he separate us and burn the fake and save the genuine product.
He wants us to restore those who have failed with a spirit of gentleness. Gentleness is not a word we use very often today. It simply means kindly, with a gentle manner, not severe, rough or violent; mild, moderate, gradual. Why does it describe restoration in this way? He wants us to consider that one day, we may be in this same situation and that’s how you would want to be restored.
Jesus wants us to grow TOGETHER. Together so we don’t hurt one another; together so that all have a chance to be saved. Together until the day that he comes back and judges. Until then, grow TOGETHER is God’s plan.
The chorus of the song “We Will Stand” written over 20 years ago by Russ Taft, sums this all up.
You’re my brother, you’re my sister
So take me by the hand
Together we will work until He comes
There’s no foe that can defeat us
When we’re walking side by sideAs long as there is love we will stand.
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