Category Archives: Denial

Avoiding An Insignificant Life

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A Desire For More Stuff

Let me share something with you that you may not know about the average 5-year-old in America— the average 5-year-old in America has 250 toys! Yes, I said 250 toys! Now, let’s apply some math to that. A 5-year-old has only lived on planet Earth for roughly 250 weeks. So, that 5-year-old has grown up getting 1 new toy every week—on average—for their entire life! That’s just the AVERAGE! Some have 500 toys! Others have 1000! And why are we surprised that they are rarely satisfied? That they are always wanting more? We’ve trained them to be “consumers,” haven’t we? We’re a culture that’s consumed by a desire for more stuff!

The Stuff We Don’t Have

We’re constantly exposed to commercials that advertise all the stuff we don’t have and tell us that we need it! “Our friends went to Best Buy on Black Friday and got a new 70” Smart TV, and our puny 55” TV just doesn’t cut it anymore”— that’s the general mindset of the average American! You take a ride in your friend’s new car and you love that new car smell! You get back in your old car and it smells like french fries and damp, moldy soccer cleats! You walk through SAMS, Target, or COSTCO and you see all this new stuff that you NEED! You didn’t know you needed it until you got there and saw what you were missing! Now, I may be exaggerating a bit, but not by much!

Stewards of God’s Estate

If we’re followers of Jesus, we can’t tolerate that selfish consumerism controlling our lives! We must see ourselves— as Scripture tells us— as faithful “stewards” of God’s resources! We “manage” a portion of God’s “estate” that He’s entrusted to our care! How are we doing with that? If you live your life like you think you “own” your stuff, you’ll waste it all on building your own “little kingdom”— you’ll live an insignificant life! For the one claiming to follow Jesus, we should not fear failure as much as we should fear success at something that really doesn’t matter in light of eternity! We need a constant reminder from God’s Holy Spirit that NOTHING we have is truly our own! It all belongs to God! And whatever He’s given us, He’s trusting us to manage it well for Him or to leverage it in a way that builds His “big kingdom”! That’s how we avoid an insignificant life!

How To Beat Consumerism

In the Apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he instructed him to: “Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God, who richly provides us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do what is good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good reserve for the age to come, so that they may take hold of life that is real” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). Here’s how I would paraphrase Paul’s challenge: You beat consumerism by denying your flesh and by chasing a new passion! It’s not just enough to deny your flesh; you need to live for a new passion! To the rich, he says, don’t be arrogant (v.17). So, a key to avoiding the insignificant life is to renounce the financial pride that can overtake us! Remember, it’s not ours!

The Tension Between Your Flesh & Spirit

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Free From Sin’s Power

If you’re a genuine “born again” follower of Jesus Christ it’s a tension you live with every day! Your spirit longs to be rid of sin, and you know, from Scripture & intuitively, that you’ve been set free from the “power” of sin! It doesn’t rule over you as it once did! You’ve experienced victory over many sins that once controlled you! At the same time, your broken, totally depraved flesh continues to lust after sin.  Sometimes that tension between doing what your flesh demands & what your spirit wants is such a burden that the weight of it overcomes you and you slip back, temporarily, into an old sin!

Prisoner To The Law Of Sin

The Apostle Paul nailed it when he confessed:  “When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. For in my inner self, I joyfully agree with God’s law. But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?” Romans 7:21-24. It’s in that tension— in the battle between our spirit & our flesh— that God progressively sanctifies, or, changes us.  An “unchanged” believer is a contradiction in terms! If you’re not changed; and being changed, you’re not saved! You’re not a genuine believer; or, follower of Jesus. Jesus, Himself, said there will always be “fruit” to evidence genuine faith (Matthew 13). 

Put Self Back On The Cross

If your faith is real, God is moving you toward the completion of your faith! He’s moving you toward the Day of Glorification when you become like Jesus permanently! Until that day, God will continue to transform you into the image of Christ by overcoming our remaining sins in the same way that Jesus overcame sin— on a CROSS! Jesus said we must die to self—  “Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me’” Luke 9:23. You have to continually put “SELF” back on the cross! EVERY DAY, Jesus said; or it will rise up & wrestle back control from you.  And, THAT is how you grow spiritually! You ARE sanctified, and you’re becoming MORE sanctified! You’re experiencing more & more freedom from the power of sin as you DENY & CRUCIFY self! 

Put The Flesh To Death

The Apostle Paul followed up his dilemma, expressed in Romans 7, with these words from the very next chapter:  “For if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live “ Romans 8:13.  The old King James Version said we must “…MORTIFY the deeds of the body…” A huge part of God’s sanctification work, in us, is to strengthen us in our efforts to “MORTIFY” or “put to death” the works of our flesh. The old Puritan, John Owen, made famous this quote about killing sin: “Do you mortify? Do you make it your daily work? Be always at it whilst you live; cease not a day from this work; be killing sin or it will be killing you.”  I like to say that spiritual growth is ultimately becoming more like JESUS; and, less like YOU! Do you look more like Jesus today than yesterday? If so, that’s evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work in you! If not, you best “…examine yourself to see if you’re in the faith…” 2 Cor. 13:5.
 

Daniel: Trust God With Your Life

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(Note: This is the 21st in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)

Choosing Crime Over Sin

Let me begin this post by making another interesting point about God’s prophet, Daniel— He purposely committed a “crime” against a human government so he would not be guilty of committing a “sin” against God!  The scene unfolds in chapter 6, of Daniel’s book, as the enemies of Daniel deceive King Darius into signing “…an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions’ den” (v.7).  An agreement that, if followed, would force Daniel to commit the sin of idolatry against his God.  Something he would not do!

Arrested For Treason

So, when he was observed praying to his God the trap was set & he was arrested for treason against his King & sentenced to death, a pit full of hungry lions to be his executioners! So, he purposely & knowingly committed a “crime” against a human government to avoid committing a “sin” against his God!  This was familiar territory for Daniel! Much earlier, in his life, he had observed how his 3 friends— Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah— had made a similar decision when faced with their choice to obey God or man (see Chapter 2). Instead of lions, they faced the prospect of death in a fiery furnace!

God, Our Deliverer

But, Daniel noted that God delivered them! God always delivers— whether by a miracle; or, by death— but, He always delivers! We may not consider “death” as a delivery option, but it’s often something God uses to remove the believer from their suffering; while at the same time leaving the persecutors with an irrefutable testimony of faith for consideration. When King Darius, who was NOT Daniel’s enemy, realized that he had been duped, he worked hard to deliver Daniel from certain death; but, he could not (v.14).

The Law Of The Medes & Persians

The most powerful man, in the world, couldn’t deliver him from “…the law of the Medes & the Persians, that changes not…” What a picture of the weakness of man! Even the most powerful, of men, was unable to reverse the inevitable! Don’t trust in man! Don’t trust in yourself! Trust God! Oh, how we need to learn that, don’t we? When Daniel submitted to God’s Sovereign plans, God was able to use his life circumstances to build another person’s faith! Daniel focused on God’s “big picture.” Without God’s help, we will always focus on our circumstances!

Take Off Those Glasses

We tend to see all our pain & suffering through the lens of our own self-centered glasses! We need the Holy Spirit’s help to remove the glasses of self! To deny self! Daniel saw God use the trouble in his life as a testimony that led first, to King Nebuchadnezzar’s faith (ch.4); and, now brought King Darius to faith! “Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep. At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel.” “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”  “Yes,” Daniel answered, “My God has delivered me. He has locked shut the mouths of lions.” Even when facing the prospect of death, Daniel remained influential in the King’s life! He persistently incarnated God’s truth in the way he lived! Oh, may that be a lesson we all learn! Let God use you for His eternal purposes, even if it leads to deliverance by death.

Can God Trust You With Pain?

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-What An Odd Question!

That probably seems like an odd question because it makes it sound like “pain” is a good thing, doesn’t it? A good thing that you could be “trusted” with? We might ask if you could be trusted with your best friend’s car; but, not “pain”! The question may also seem confusing because it suggests that pain is something that comes from God & everything inside us wants to rebel at the notion that pain & suffering might be choreographed into our lives by God! That can’t be true, can it?

-We Are So “Coddled”!

Most Christians, here in the west, have been coddled! I have & so have most of you! We suffer very little for our beliefs. Several months ago, I went, with a couple of our men, to visit a faith-based community center in another city. It was a Friday; and, Friday is typically my day off. But, I had had a number of interruptions, that week; and, I didn’t get my work done. So, I was whining that I’d have to go into the office for 2-3 more hours, when I got back, to finish up my work! And, the Lord convicted me! As we pulled into the church parking lot, I apologized for complaining about my “suffering.”

-Real Suffering Looks Like This!

The Holy Spirit had pressed in on me & planted the thought that there were probably brothers & sisters, in Christ, in other parts of the world, who had died for their faith that day. Still, others had endured harsh treatment, for their faith; and, I was whining about working an extra 2-3 hours.  We’ve bought into the lie that coming to Jesus is like playing a Country Western song backward— we get our dog back, our truck back; and, our girlfriend back! Funny! But, that’s not what Jesus said. He said that if the world hated Him, it would hate us! That if they persecuted Him, they would persecute us! That if we followed him, we’d have to give up our life! We have to deny ourselves & count the cost!

-More Like Jesus!

You see, the Father intends to use all the “junk”, in this sin-cursed world, to make us more like Jesus— who was, in fact, a SUFFERING Savior, right? Someone said, that, we tend to “…read the Bible, not with a desperate hunger for evidence of God’s triumph in pain; but, with a view to improving our private pleasure.” Clearly, Bible characters, like Moses & Joseph, were not overly concerned with improving their private pleasure! On the contrary, they endured great difficulty on their way to spiritual success; and, it was because of the great difficulties, in part, that they experienced spiritual success. For Moses, Scripture says “…he CHOSE to SUFFER…” rather than enjoy sin’s pleasures (Heb 11:25).

-He Chose To Suffer!

It says he CHOSE to suffer! As the adopted son, of Pharoah’s daughter, he had a choice— short-lived pleasures; or, suffering! Which would you choose? Be honest! Most of us would choose short-lived pleasures, wouldn’t we? Long-lived pleasures, even better! But, Moses CHOSE to suffer! I never choose to suffer! But, I will tell you that when suffering has been my lot, that I grew more deeply, in my faith & my walk with God & others, than I ever did enjoying the short-lived pleasures of this life! I’m not suggesting that we live our lives with a death wish! Rather, we learn to submit to whatever course God directs our lives; and, by faith believe His intentions are good! We need to learn that during this difficult time in human history! Amen?

 

Is God Okay With That?

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-What About That Behavior?

If you’re a new follower, of Jesus; and, reading through the Bible, for the first time, it may seem like God approves of certain behavior recorded on its pages. Like, is God “okay” with having multiple wives? What about lying? And, adultery? And, killings? It seems like God must be okay with some of these things! Let me emphasize the word “seems.” It may seem that way when we pull one story out of the Bible and look at it separately, from the rest of Scripture. But, God doesn’t intend for the Scriptures to be read like that! We need to approach the reading of God’s Word as a whole!

-The Truth About Man’s Behavior!

The rest, of Scripture, will serve as a commentary & help to clarify the truth. God’s Word records the truth about man’s behavior, while not necessarily endorsing it. In other words, the Bible, at times, unpacks a story— sometimes, in fact, a DISTURBING story— without any kind of divine commentary; not, because God endorses that behavior; but, to encourage us to pause! And, to ask questions, of the text. To talk, with God, about it. And, to study out the rest of the Bible; because, invariably God speaks to that behavior elsewhere. Always remember that the very best commentary, on the Word of God, is the Word of God!

-Stories Of Broken Relationships!

And, that’s especially helpful to know as we connect with some of the stories about broken relationships. For example, God’s Word tells the truth, about Abraham’s behavior when he lies about Sarah, his wife. It tells the truth about Jacob exploiting his brother, Esau’s, hunger. And, God is not endorsing their behaviors! In fact, the Scripture also records the truth about the outcome that their sinful behaviors had on relationships. God doesn’t always need to remind us when a certain behavior is sinful; because, the consequences that result bear that out!

-See Yourself In The Broken Stories!

If you’re anything like me, you’ll see yourself in these stories. And, it’s my prayer, for you, that you’ll be truthful with yourself, with God, and, perhaps with someone you’ve harmed through similar behavior. Let’s quit living in denial! Let’s resolve our personal conflicts! In Genesis, chapter 24, Abraham, whom God had promised to make a great nation, was old and concerned that his son, Isaac, would marry a good girl that God would bless! So, he makes his servant promise to find a wife that fit his demands.

-About Abraham’s Servant!

Who is this servant? Back, in ch. 15, before Isaac is born, Abraham is wrestling, with God, about not having an heir. He tells God that all he has to pass his inheritance to was his servant named Eliezer. Now, according to the Jewish targums, Eliezer was the son of Nimrod. Remember Nimrod? Back in Genesis 10, after the flood, Nimrod was the ambitious man who led the rebellion to build the Tower of Babel against God’s command. That’s really all we know about Eliezer! We know nothing of his faith. But Abraham seems to be at work convincing him to come to faith in Yahweh. As he sends Eliezer off to seek Isaac’s bride, he tells him, “…God will send His angel before you…” v.7. That would change his life!