Book Signing at Grounded4LIFE Coffee House

Post by grounded4LIFE.

Top Ten Reasons to Buy Tim's New Book

My book has just gone live, so in honor of that, I am doing a little post on why people should consider buying it. Some of these reasons may be more noble than others. You be the judge.

1. It will help to feed Tim's wife and six children.

2. It will help to feed Tim.

3. You think Tim is a good author.

4. You think Tim is a bad author, and this will help pay for his continuing education so he can become a better author.

5. Tim's wife will be happy when she sees that Tim's investment in this project was not a big waste of money.

6. Tim's wife being happy will make Tim very happy.

7. You feel sorry for this poor, unrecognized author.

8. You want this poor, unrecognized author to stop badgering you about buying his book.

9. You are looking for a book to help you share your Christian faith with someone.

10. You want to know why anyone would have a Christian faith in the first place.

The books is presently available to order at Westbow Press and at Amazon. It will still take some time for the printer to run the initial copies and send them off if anyone orders online right now. But next month I plan to have hard copies available to purchase for people who know me locally. And I will be doing a book launching event in February as well, where soft and hard cover copies will be made available. Thanks to everyone for your interest and support in this endeavor of promoting my first book!

Wise Professors vs. Professing Wisdom

I am thankful for the wisdom displayed by John Lennox (math professor at Oxford University). He is doing a tremendous job confronting the teachings of the New Atheists, having engaged in high profile debates with the likes of Richard Dawkins and the late Christopher Hitchens.

In a talk given at the University of Cape Town, South Africa, Lennox remarks, “Nonsense remains nonsense even when taught by world class physicists.”[1] This is in reference to the increasingly popular proposition that the universe arises from nothing (as promulgated by men like Stephen Hawking and Lawrence Krauss). This is true if one defines “nothing” in a new way, such as encompassing the laws of physics, which actually is something. Lennox goes on to explain that the laws of the universe are descriptive and predictive, not creative—just as the laws of arithmetic describe how money in a bank account will add up, but they do not create the money itself.

I am particularly thankful that an esteemed professor at Oxford is the one calling out the fallacy of the New Atheists’ arguments because if it were just little peons like myself doing so, everybody would say that we are simply not scientifically literate enough nor have the intellectual capacity to understand the complexity of their arguments (though this reminds me of the wise insight of J. Budziszewski that there are some forms of stupidity that one must be highly intelligent and educated to achieve). Nevertheless, the New Atheists are indeed brilliant men who have advanced degrees, and I am thankful that Lennox can be counted on their level as he challenges their erroneous philosophy couched in complex scientific terminology.

All of this reminds me of another wise professor who confronted the prevalent philosophy of his day: the apostle Paul. In his epistle to the Romans, he states, “Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,”[2] speaking of those who abandoned the recognition of God and began to worship created things rather than the Creator. What is really going on today with the New Atheists is, in essence, nothing new—they are not only denying the existence of God but are worshipping the creation in His place. Listen to what some of them say about the universe:

Lawrence Krauss: If we live in a universe full of stuff, how did it get here? And many people think that very question implies the need for a creator. But what's truly been amazing, and what the book's [A Universe from Nothing] about is the revolutionary developments in both cosmology and particle physics over the past 30 or 40 years that have not only changed completely the way we think about the universe but made it clear that there's a plausible case for understanding precisely how a universe full of stuff, like the universe we live in, could result literally from nothing by natural processes.[3]

Christopher Hitchens: If you want to be awe inspired. . . let me just tell you that those of us who do not believe we are divinely created, let alone divinely supervised, are not immune to the idea of awe and beauty and the transcendent. Let me invite you to look for a moment at the pictures taken by the Hubble telescope. Some of you may have done it. If you haven’t done it now, or yet, do it soon.

The extraordinary revelations of swirling yet somehow beautiful, new galaxies in color and depth and majesty, like nothing, I think, the human eye has ever seen.[4]

Richard Dawkins: When I lie on my back and look up at the Milky Way on a clear night and see the vast distances of space and reflect that these are also vast differences of time as well, when I look at the Grand Canyon and see the strata going down, down, down, through periods of time which the human mind can’t comprehend, I’m overwhelmingly filled with a sense of, almost worship. . . it’s a feeling of sort of an abstract gratitude that I am alive to appreciate these wonders, when I look down a microscope it’s the same feeling, I am grateful to be alive to appreciate these wonders.[5]

The universe created. The universe is transcendent. The universe is worship-inspiring. It sounds to me as if they have taken the concept of God and simply replaced it with the universe itself. The New Atheists are compelling, however, because they know how to present their views in a highly sophisticated and emotionally evocative manner, but in the end, they are simply professing wisdom rather than demonstrating it. Nonsense is still nonsense even if taught by world class, highly renowned and revered scientists. Thankfully, the God who does exist has provided a voice of reason in the midst of all of this through John Lennox. I encourage others to listen to what he has to say.

---

[1] John Lennox, “A Matter of Gravity - God, the Universe and Stephen Hawking” (2013), http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xy4gMVlUCE; accessed March, 2014.

[2] Romans 1:22 (KJV).

[3] Lawrence Krauss, “Lawrence Krauss On 'A Universe From Nothing'” (January, 2012), http://www.npr.org/

2012/01/13/145175263/lawrence-krauss-on-a-universe-from-nothing; accessed March, 2014.

[4] Christopher Hitchens, Collision: Christopher Hitchens vs. Douglas Wilson (DVD), 2009.

[5] Richard Dawkins, “Atheism is the New Fundamentalism” (debate sponsored by Intelligence Squared), 2009.

Episode Three: Two Oxford Guys

Undercover Boss, Jesus Style

One of my favorite television shows is Undercover Boss. I find it entertaining and often quite touching (I have to admit I usually have tears streaming down my face by the end of each episode. What can I say? I’m an emotional kind of guy!) The premise of the show, which intrigued me the first time I heard about it, is that a CEO or high official of a company goes incognito into his or her organization and works with individuals on the front lines to see how well the workers are doing and the company is running. It is always great to see the interaction that takes place between workers who think they are working with just an average, everyday person, when in reality, it is the CEO of the company. Because of the way the show is set up, we get to see workers deriding company executives (unwittingly right in front of the most important one!), or talking about how they love their company (in the presence of its head officer), or treating customers with patience or ridicule (while being unknowingly evaluated by someone who has the power to promote or fire them on the spot). In my opinion, it makes for great entertainment.

But in thinking about the show as a Christian, I have to admit the concept has already been tackled—2,000 years ago. . . by Jesus!

I’m thinking of a passage in which Jesus describes His return as King. Here is how He describes it:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matt. 25:31–40; NKJV)

Sounds like Undercover Boss to me. These people seemed to have no idea that the most important Person in the church organization was evaluating them by the way they were treating ordinary people in need (particularly those people associated with Jesus—His brethren).

With this in mind, I would like to delineate a few principles brought out by Jesus’ teaching that are illustrated by its modern television counterpart, Uncover Boss.

1. What you do matters.

In the television show, the workers are evaluated by how they perform their job and the way they treat others around them. Our Boss, or Lord, evaluates not just what we say but how we are living. What is interesting is it is not the big, showy things that are brought out by Jesus, but really just showing concern and compassion. Love seems to be big on His list of priorities. And just as on the show little, kind things done for others is what is ultimately esteemed and rewarded, for Christians too, our love is huge in the sight of God, even if it goes largely unnoticed in this world.

2. There will be a day of reckoning.

The climax of the show Undercover Boss is always when the Boss brings individual employees to corporate headquarters and sits in front of each employee that he or she has worked with. The employees are often shocked when they find out who they have really been working with. (It’s just great to see their reactions–joy, fear, bewilderment, panic, etc.) It is at this point when the boss can really disclose his or her opinion of the employee. Sometimes it’s good, sometimes not good.

In Jesus’ teaching, He too says there is a day of reckoning when people will be shocked to hear about who has been watching them and what He thinks about their lives. The righteous cared for people, particularly for those who associated with Jesus. They will be amazed to hear the Boss say how much He appreciated the way they treated Him. “When did we do those things for you?” they will ask.

Jesus will reply, “By caring for my people, You have shown your love for me.”

It is like a CEO saying, “I am so deeply connected with this company that the way you act in relation to it affects me personally.” So Jesus says, “I am so deeply connected with My church (His brethren) that the way you act in relation to it affects Me personally.” We need to be good representatives of our Boss; He is deeply affected by our behavior.

3. Overwhelming generosity is in store.

Probably what strikes a chord the most with me about Undercover Boss is the lavish generosity shown by the CEO’s. I love it when they give people who have very little money, who are struggling to make ends meet, a large sum of money, a huge promotion, or even a car or a house, in some cases. The worker, at this point, is usually completely overwhelmed that the boss would do something like this. It’s so unexpected. It’s so lavish. It’s so generous. To think of the highest company executive taking note of the needs of this unknown, everyday worker and meeting that person’s specific needs!

I find it moving, too, to think of how Jesus will one day do the same thing. He, the King of all kings, the highest and most exalted of all, will condescend to show His appreciation and generosity to average, everyday nobodies like us and give us more than we could ever dream,

“Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!”

Do you feel unimportant, unappreciated? Well, remember our Boss is watching, and He is very much taking note of what we are doing (even the little things). I think it will be just as surprising and overwhelming to hear what He has to say as it is for the participants on Undercover Boss.

            

Book Review - Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

Good Tool for Understanding the Bible

Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

Overall Reaction

I really appreciate John Cross’s book. I am a pastor who cares very much about people reading and understanding the message of Scripture, and this book is a gift to the church (literally, it’s free on Kindle!). The author presents an overview of the Bible and how its message points to Jesus, using Jesus’ encounter with two disciples on the Road to Emmaus as a springboard for its contents. It is a very unassuming work, not trying to be anything amazing but seeking to give a simple, clear presentation of the Bible to anyone willing to read it with an open mind.

Good Things about this Book

1. It gives a chronological, well-organized overview of the Bible

The chapters cover main themes and are broken down into sub-themes in a way that makes sense and helps to fit the big picture together.

2. It does not get bogged down with a lot of theological debate

This is good for a book that is trying to give the overall message of Scripture. It is, on the whole, trying to let the Scripture speak for itself.

3. It is written on an understandable, non-technical level

This is very important for people who do not know much about the Bible or Christianity. The author does a great job of writing to everyday people (obviously, he picked this up well from ministering in another culture where the message had to be adapted).

4. It presents the story of the Bible

This idea is becoming more popular today (as seen in various Christian products using the word “story”), but it is helpful because it helps present a metanarrative by which to view life. It also keeps the Christian message from coming across as some mere abstract propositions. It shows that God has worked and is working in real life.

5. It presents the gospel (the good news of Jesus Christ)

This is the most important “good thing” about this book. It spells out why Jesus came and what He accomplished. It presents essential teaching on the gospel by giving the contextual basis for Jesus’ coming and work on the cross, which is much-needed in an increasingly biblically illiterate society. Not only does the author present the work of Jesus, he personally calls on the reader to place his or her faith in Christ, following the pattern of the first proclaimers of the gospel.

Uses for This Book

1. Personal reading as an introduction to the Bible

Perhaps you are not familiar with the overall teaching of the Bible and how everything fits together. This book gives the clothesline (as the author would say) on which to hang the truths of Scripture.

2. Group Bible study

This book is designed to be read as a group. I have the interactive edition, which contains a DVD with on-location in the Holy Land video footage, portions of John Cross’s live teaching with his use of visuals (really good), and some commentary from a man and woman (my least favorite part). There is also a DVD set available to be used with group study, which some will find very useful.

3. Giving away to unbelievers

It could be given to someone in order to explain Christian beliefs.  The Kindle version is free, making it even more accessible to be distributed widely.

The Golden Rule

Treating Others as We Would Want to be Treated

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Jesus, Matthew 7:7–12)

In looking at what Jesus says about how we should relate to others, we have observed

that we must be understanding, not critical. Secondly, we are to treat others as we would want to be treated. This is popularly known as the “Golden Rule.” The question, though, is whether it is popularly obeyed. In theory, we seem highly supportive of this principle, but in practice, we seem to have many reasons for not applying it.

            It is encouraging to note what Jesus says beforehand, for He reminds His listeners that they have a heavenly resource for accomplishing what seems impossible. When we think we could never love a person who treated us so badly or failed us so miserably, God is able to supply what we lack.

            A Christian woman named Corrie Ten Boom, who survived the WWII holocaust, tells the story of speaking to a group of people in Germany after the war about God’s forgiveness. She says that afterward:

People stood up in silence, in silence collected their wraps, in silence left the room.

And that’s when I saw him, working his way forward against the others.  One moment I saw the overcoat and the brown hat; the next, a blue uniform and a visored cap with its skull and crossbones.  It came back with a rush:  the huge room with its harsh overhead lights; the pathetic pile of dresses and shoes in the center of the floor; the shame of walking naked past this man.  I could see my sister’s frail form ahead of me, ribs sharp beneath the parchment skin. Betsie, how thin you were! 

The place was Ravensbruck, and the man who was making his way forward had been a guard— one of the most cruel guards. 

Now he was in front of me, hand thrust out:  “A fine message, Fraulein!  How good it is to know that, as you say, all our sins are at the bottom of the sea!” 

And I, who had spoken so glibly of forgiveness, fumbled in my pocketbook rather than take that hand.  He would not remember me, of course—how could he remember one prisoner among those thousands of women? 

But I remembered him and the leather crop swinging from his belt.  I was face-to-face with one of my captors, and my blood seemed to freeze. 

“You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk,” he was saying.  “I was a guard

there.”  No, he did not remember me. 

“But since that time,” he went on, “I have become a Christian.  I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well, Fraulein.”  Again, the hand came out, “Will you forgive me?” 

And I stood there—I whose sins had again and again to be forgiven—and could

not forgive.  Betsie had died in that place—could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? 

It could not have been many seconds that he stood there—hand held out—but to me it seemed hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do. 

For I had to do it—I knew that. . .I knew it not only as a commandment of God but as a daily experience.  Since the end of the war I had a home in Holland for victims of Nazi brutality.  Those who were able to forgive their former enemies were able also to return to the outside world and rebuild their lives, no matter what the physical scars.  Those who nursed their bitterness remained invalids.  It was as simple and as horrible as that. 

And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart.  But forgiveness is not an emotion—I knew that too.  Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.  “Jesus, help me!”  I prayed silently.  “I can lift my hand. I can do that much.  You supply the feeling.”

And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me.  And as I did, an incredible thing took place.  The current started in my shoulder, raced down my arm, sprang into our joined hands. 

And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes.  “I forgive you, brother!” I cried.  “With all my heart.”

For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands, the former guard and the former prisoner.  I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then.  But even so, I realized it was not my love.  I had tried, and did not have the power.  It was the power of the Holy Spirit as recorded in Romans 5:5, “The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Ten Boom, 83–86)

            Ten Boom says that her ability to forgive and show love in this trying situation was not her own. Asking, seeking, and knocking at the throne room of heaven is our only hope of having the power to love as we are called to.

            So we can love others because we have a Father to help us, but we can also love others because we have a Father who demonstrates love to us. Jesus shows that even humans, which are “evil,” desire to give to their children, so a perfect Father will most certainly give good things to those who ask. Knowing the love and care of God should lead us to treat others with grace and kindness.

            Finally, treating others as we would want to be treated fulfills God’s will. The message of Law and the Prophets can be summed up in the idea of love. This is brought out in other places in the Scripture. Paul says, “ Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8). And James says, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8, 9). Clearly, the Christian ethic is to be epitomized by love, and followers of Christ should stand out because of the love they possess and share, treating others as they would want to be treated.

Works Cited:

Corrie Ten Boom, Jamie Buckingham, Life Lessons From Corrie Ten Boom: Tramp for the Lord (Grand Rapids: Revell, 1974, 2004).

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Remove the Plank from Your Own Eye

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces."

(Jesus, Matthew 7:1–6)

            As mentioned previously, tolerance is a prominent theme in our culture, and based on what Jesus says about not being judgmental at the beginning of this passage, many would be quick to conclude that Jesus would have us pass no judgment upon others. But His message is more nuanced than that, as seen when considering the whole of Jesus’ point.

            It has been said that before we criticize someone else, we should walk a mile in their shoes, to which someone added, “that way after we have criticized them we are a mile away from them and we have their shoes.” All humor aside, though, Jesus does make it clear that a first step for all people is to take the plank out of their own eye. It is far too easy for us to see what is wrong with others and fail to see our own faults, though to others they may be as plain as day. When we take an honest look at ourselves first, however, we can then approach others with the right attitude.

            I personally love to golf, and I know enough to possibly give some pointers to a new golfer. But it would be ridiculous for me to condescendingly criticize another golfer when it is obvious (for anyone who has played with me) that my game is nothing to boast about, to say the least. Recognizing my shortcomings allows me to help someone else with a sympathetic and relatable attitude. Jesus teaches that to relate to others in the correct way, we must always see ourselves for what we really are first, and this means coming to grips with our own weaknesses and failures.

            Once we sincerely deal with the plank in our own eye, though, there is no mistaking that there is certainly a place for taking the speck out of another person’s eye. Jesus teaches elsewhere that there are times when it is appropriate to correct another person, particularly someone who is also a follower of Christ. He states:

 “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.  But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.  If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector (Matthew 18:15–17, NLT).

Obviously, followers of Christ are to take sin very seriously and have the responsibility

of pointing out issues that need to be dealt with. On the other hand, Jesus also teaches in the passage we are looking at here: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” There are people who are not willing to listen and accept what we are saying, and even though our words may give valuable insight, it is not worth continuing discussion with those who have no concern for what is good and true. It is also interesting to note Jesus’ use of “dogs” and “swine” as analogies reveals that He makes certain judgments about the character of others, again reinforcing that there is a place for judgment.  

In summary, Jesus says that in relating to others, His followers must not have a critical attitude but should help others with a sense of their own weaknesses and shortcomings. This point is succinctly conveyed by the apostle Paul, who says, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness” (Gal. 6:1, ESV). 

Works Cited:

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Judge Not

How Christ-Followers Are to Approach Relationships

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Jesus, Matthew 7:1–5)

Not Being Critical of Others

            This section of the sermon begins with one of the most well-known (and oft-quoted) verses in our culture: “Judge not, that you be not judged.”  This is a popular theme in a society greatly concerned with promoting tolerance. However, this verse is often taken out of context and must be seen in light of all Jesus is saying here.

            It is true, though, that Jesus is hitting on a principle that needs to be heard by many who are, indeed, intolerant and judgmental. It is ironic that Christians can be most known for having critical attitudes when Christ Himself taught the very opposite. In fact, it seems to be a tendency for religious people in general to fall into this mindset. A graphic example is seen in Luke Chapter 7:

Then one of the Pharisees asked Him [Jesus] to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. Now when the Pharisee who had invited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” (Luke 7:36–39)

So we see that the Pharisee Simon (a religious person) has a very critical attitude toward this woman who was a known sinner. He even questions Jesus’ authority because of how He accepted this woman’s worship, but Jesus uses this situation to teach a judgmental, religious person an important lesson:

And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”

So he said, “Teacher, say it.”

“There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?”

Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.”

And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.”

Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” (Luke 7:40–48)

Some religious people (as we have seen earlier in this sermon) have a tendency to think they are better than others. Jesus here shows that this woman (because she recognized she was a sinner and sought forgiveness) loved Jesus more than the one who had been forgiven little (the one who thought he was better). In His sermon, Jesus teaches His followers that they must beware of a critical attitude, though they are pursuing a life of righteousness and it may be easy to look down on others. Sadly, it is true that even Christians can forget this. I remember hearing a sermon by a preacher who was so judgmental that he was actually snarling as he lambasted people for their sinfulness. On the other hand, it must be said that some Christians are wrongly accused of being judgmental simply because they uphold certain moral standards and desire others to do the same.

But it is not only religious people who have a tendency to be judgmental—all people have this tendency at times. One only needs to read blog posts and comments on the internet to see just how harsh, biased, and critical people can be. We must realize that being judgmental is not a set of beliefs, it is the attitude in which those beliefs are held. I have witnessed judgmental attitudes from certain Republicans, and I have witnessed the same from certain Democrats. I have observed judgmental attitudes from some devoutly religious people, and I have observed the same from some devoutly anti-religious people. The standard for Jesus’ followers, however, is not to have a proud, condescending attitude toward others.

Often, a critical mindset assumes something about others which we do not know (such as their motives). Perhaps the Pharisee Simon did not understand the woman’s motive for washing and kissing Jesus’ feet. There are many things that we do not know or see about others, and we must be careful not to jump to conclusions. The following story about the preacher Chuck Swindoll shows why:

At a pastor's conference in Spokane, Chuck Swindoll told of being at a California Christian camp. The first day there a man approached him and said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak and his delight at now finally being able to realize that desire.

That evening Swindoll noticed the man sitting near the front. But only a few minutes into the message the man was sound asleep. Swindoll thought to himself that perhaps he was tired after a long day's drive and couldn't help himself. But the same thing happened the next few nights, and Dr. Swindoll found his exasperation with the man growing.

On the last night the man's wife came up and apologized for her husband's inattention to the messages. She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed as having terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr. Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal.

So it is time to do an attitude check. No matter how loving and tolerant you may claim to be, what is your attitude toward others? Do you find yourself assuming bad things about certain people, or do you truly care about them and pray for them? Do you feel you are better than others, or do you see yourself in as much need of forgiveness as anyone else? Jesus wants followers who have great conviction but who hold this conviction with great concern for others.

Works Cited:

“Sleepy Man” (available at http://www.sermonsearch.com/sermon-illustrations/view/3615/ accessed November 2012; Internet).

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Antidote to Materialism and Worry

The Antidote to Materialism and Worry

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Jesus, Matthew 6:33–34)

Jesus ends His teaching about seeking security in material things with a couple of concluding directives. The first is to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” This is the antidote to the materialism that so easily plagues our lives. Caring too much about this life reveals a lack of focus on heaven. The Scriptures, in contrast, teach Christians to set their minds on heaven, and speak of us pilgrims in this world, not permanent residents (cf. Col. 3:2; I Pet. 2:11). As one hymn-writer aptly put it:

This world is not my home, I'm just a passing through

My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue

The angels beckon me from heaven's open door

And I can't feel at home in this world anymore

Much of Christianity in America seems to lose sight of this perspective, probably because of the abundance of material wealth we enjoy all around us. But our stay in this world is temporary, and as Jesus has already shown, the truly wise long-term investment plan is to lay up treasures in heaven. If we seek God’s kingdom above all else, knowing Him and sharing His truth and love with others, then we have no need to worry about anything else. He’ll take of meeting our needs as we take care of seeking Him and His righteousness.

            Jesus’ second directive is “do not worry about tomorrow.” A common trait of people who struggle with anxiety is fortune-telling—that is, predicting what may happen and believing it to be true. Reneau Peurifoy writes, “Essentially, fortune-telling is the confusion of a possibility with a probability” (Peurifoy, 113). Perhaps you have caught yourself thinking, “I just know this is going to turn out bad,” or “I’ll never be able to do this.” Jesus addresses the tendency to get ahead of ourselves, when our focus should be on the present. His common sense argument is that “Each day has enough trouble of its own” for us to be concerned about (Matt. 6:34, NIV). Why worry about the future (which we cannot control) when there is enough to deal with in the present (which we can influence)? So seek God’s kingdom and righteousness above all else in the present, and do not worry (or begin fortune-telling) about the future.

            Ultimately, worry is just a form of meditating on the wrong things, and so the apostle Paul advises:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. (Phil. 4:6–9, NIV)

If we diligently work on keeping our hearts and minds in the right place, we can be freed from the materialism and anxiety that is so rampant in our culture.

Works Cited:

Albert E. Brumley, “This World Is Not My Home,” © 1936. Renewed 1964 Albert E. Brumley And Sons (Admin. by ClearBox Rights, LLC)

Reneau Z. Peurifoy, M.A., M.F.T., Anxiety, Phobias, and Panic (New York: Warner Books, 1988, 1992, 1995, 2005).

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Focus of a Christ-Follower - Part 3

Finding Your Security in Wealth

            When we speak of people who seek ultimate satisfaction in wealth, we may describe them as materialistic. Truly, one form of materialism is spending too much on yourself, but another, more subtle form of materialism is saving too much for yourself. Saving wisely is a good thing, but saving obsessively is a sign of trusting in wealth rather than God. So one form of materialism is finding satisfaction in riches, another form of materialism is finding security in riches. Both forms are encouraged in our culture. We are always told that we need more stuff (the bigger and better thing that has just come along), and we need more financial protection (to make sure our lifestyle is secure). Jesus has already hit on the issue of spending on ourselves; now He deals with our tendency to worry about security.

“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. (Jesus, Matthew 6:25–32)

            Americans, by and large, have plenty to supply for their needs. Still, it is common for us to be worried. This is a human tendency, and it is exacerbated by scores of books, newscasts, and documentaries feeding us with more to be worried about: Will the food we eat or the water we drink harm us? Will an economic disaster occur? Will the earth be destroyed by human activity? Though there may seem to be legitimate reasons for worry, Jesus tells us not to and provides logical reasons for support. First, worry makes too much out of certain things, “Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” He asks. When you look at what you worry about, often it involves fixating on something relatively minor at the expense of enjoying or appreciating what is most important. We worry about how a particular event will turn out, when in reality, there are more important things we can focus on, such as family and meeting the needs of others.

            Second, worry is unable to produce what it craves. Worry is actually an attempt to control what happens, as if thinking about it will somehow help. Jesus shrewdly points out, “Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?” Or, as it can also be translated, “which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?^” (Matt. 6:27, ESV) Obviously, worrying cannot actually produce a longer life. If anything, it can actually shorten your life. Dr. Charles Mayo said, “Worry affects the circulation, the heart, the glands, and the whole nervous system. I have never met a man or known a man to die of overwork, but I have known a lot who died of worry” (MacArthur, 423). We should not worry because it does not help us.

            Third, Jesus encourages His hearers by pointing to the tender care of God the Father. God feeds the birds, which do not even know how to farm. God clothes flowers with incredible beauty, and they are merely short-lived plants. So certainly He can make sure to clothe you, feed you, and provide you with all that you need. When we don’t trust God to take care of us, we are demonstrating “little faith,” Jesus says.

            Finally, Jesus points out that worrying about our needs being met is acting like “Gentiles,” which basically means acting as if we do not have a heavenly Father. Believers, of all people, should go through life knowing that Someone is taking care of them. My children do not worry about their needs because they have a father who works and provides for them. Ultimately, I do not have to worry because I have a Father in heaven who provides for me.

Works Cited:

John F. MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1–7 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985).

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Focus of Christ-Follower - Part 2

“The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” (Jesus, Matthew 6:22–23)

            I can relate to Jesus’ analogy of the eye. I have had eye trouble since young childhood. At that time, I had to have bifocals and was farsighted in both eyes. Today, I am now nearsighted in one eye and farsighted in the other. Needless to say, without corrective lenses, I do not see very clearly. As Jesus talks about how people view wealth, He highlights the fact that we need good eyes to have clarity of vision within. Bad eyes only give us “darkness.”  If we have an evil, envious, materialistic eye, then we will not see life rightly. But if we have an eye toward God, our focus in life will be clear, full of light. It is perilous, in other words, to view wealth as the ultimate source of satisfaction, for our life was meant for far more than temporary treasures. Paul says to believers in Christ, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory (Colossians 3:2–4). This is to be the focus of the Christian, “on things above,” and as Jesus says, laying up treasure in heaven.

Many have found the American Dream to be a nightmare because wealth is not all it is cracked up to be. The way to true peace and fulfillment is a life lived with focus on God, basking in His acceptance and love; the life of earth-centered materialism is at best a temporary joy, and often a disillusioning path to despair, or “darkness.”

“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:24)

A final word Jesus gives about materialism is that it ultimately enslaves us. We do not like to think ourselves as slaves. We like to think that we are in full control of our lives, with the power to do as we please. But the reality is, humans are influenced and controlled by various impulses, and if we place our focus on money, it will ultimately control the direction of our life and the satisfaction of our heart. Jesus says a choice must be made, our ultimate allegiance will either be toward God or toward money, living for eternity and what it offers or living for this world and what it offers. What are you truly living for?

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Focus of a Christ-Follower

How Christ-Followers Are to Approach Everyday Life

            It was clear from the last section of the sermon that people are capable of taking something as good as godly religion and using for selfish purposes. Jesus confronts this mentality and shows that religion (whether giving, praying, or fasting) must truly be about God. In this section, He shows that everyday life must also be about God. People often struggle to integrate faith with their daily experience. Author A.W. Tozer pinpoints the tendency for many to separate their religious life (praying, Bible reading, church attendance) from their secular activities (work, eating, etc.), feeling that their religious actions please God, while their day to day activities are spiritually worthless. He states:

This is the old sacred-secular antithesis. Most Christians are caught in this trap. They cannot get a satisfactory adjustment between the claims of the two worlds. They try to walk the tight rope between two kingdoms and they find no peace in either. Their strength is reduced, their outlook confused and their joy taken from them.

I believe this state of affairs to be wholly unnecessary. We have gotten ourselves on the horns of a dilemma, true enough, but the dilemma is not real. It is a creature of misunderstanding. The sacred-secular antithesis has no foundation in the New Testament. Without doubt a more prefect understanding of Christian truth will deliver us from it.

The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is our perfect example, and He knew no divided life. In the presence of His Father He lived on earth without strain from babyhood to His death on the cross. God accepted the offering of His total life, and made no distinction between act and act. “I do always the things that please him,” was His brief summary of His own life as it related to the Father. (Tozer, loc. 1083–1093)

            For the Christ-follower, Jesus sets the example and teaches that all of life is to be lived in recognition of God. Specifically, He addresses here the issue of wealth and possession, which is certainly a large focus of our everyday lives.

Finding Your Ultimate Satisfaction in Wealth

 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (Jesus, Matthew 6:19–21)

            The first problem in relation to possessions is that humans have a tendency to seek ultimate joy and peace in material things. Jesus speaks of laying up treasures for ourselves. Present-day fixation with making more and more money and acquiring bigger and better things certainly exposes our insatiable capacity to lay up treasures for ourselves. The problem with seeking satisfaction in such things, as Jesus notes, is that they will not last. Jesus told a story that graphically illustrates the fleeting nature of wealth:

“The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?’ So he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store all my crops and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?’

“So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

(Luke 12:16–21)

            Jesus did not pull punches in showing people that it is foolish to live life in a materialistic, self-centered manner, without regard for God. This is what is being brought out here in the Sermon on the Mount as well. He does not say that it is wrong to be rich, but that these treasures are not to be laid up for ourselves. Rather, we are to lay up treasures in heaven, and the truth is, we can use earthly wealth to do so. The crucial question is not whether it is permissible to have wealth but rather how we use that wealth. As J. D. Greear says,

Quit thinking so much about the amount you’re giving and think instead about the kingdom you’re pursuing. Following Jesus means seeing your life as a seed to be planted for God’s kingdom.

So ask yourself: What have you done with the majority of your resources up to this point in your life? How are you leveraging your talents now for God’s kingdom? What have you spent the majority of your money on thus far? Where does the bulk of your treasure lie? (Greear, 142)

Those are probing questions, but they help us to discern whether we are following Jesus’ injunction to lay up treasures in heaven rather than for ourselves on earth. “For where your treasure is,” Jesus says, “there your heart will be also.” This statement reveals the interconnectedness of our heart and our treasure. Treasure both reveals where our heart is at (if it is set on this world or on God) and also influences our heart (the more we store up on earth, the more we will love this world; the more we store up in heaven, the more we will love God’s kingdom).

Works Cited:

J. D. Greear, Gospel: Rediscovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2011).

A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God (Kindle edition; Harrisburg: Christian Publications, Inc., 1948),  

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Pray - Part 3

Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread

            Once we have focused appropriately on God’s glory and aligning ourselves with His purposes, we then come to the point where we express our needs to God. Prayer, as Jesus shows here, is about depending on God. This is a hard thing for many Americans to grasp, particularly on the level of everyday physical needs, such as food and shelter. We believe that we can provide for ourselves; after all, there is an abundance of resources at our disposal. But when Jesus says to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” He is showing that, in reality, God is the one who supplies for us. An overarching theme of Scripture is that God is the true source and supplier of all that is found in nature. Praying before a meal to thank God for food, then, is not a formality, it is to be the heartfelt acknowledgement  that the food which nourishes us comes as a gift from God, and it reminds us of our dependency on Him to meet our needs. Not only are we to depend on Him for food but for everything we need. The apostle Peter says to “Cast all your anxiety on [God] because he cares for you” (I Peter 5:7, NIV). Prayer is certainly a time for us to express our needs to God because He, as a loving Father, cares about us.

Forgive Us Our Debts

            Lest we be presumptuous, however, assuming that God ought to meet our expectations, Jesus says we should also seek God’s forgiveness for our debt against Him. Prayer, as mentioned earlier, is not to be presenting a wish-list; it is about relating rightly to God and others. We can have confidence that God will forgive us, but we must be consistent in relation to others. “For if you forgive men their trespasses,” Jesus states, “your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15). This is reminiscent of a story Jesus tells elsewhere in answer to a question posed by Peter.

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”

Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

“Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.

“At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.

“But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

“His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

“But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

“Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.

“This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.” (Matthew 18:21–35, NIV)

            Prayer is a means of helping us to put things into perspective. It is easy to be bitter and demanding toward others when they have wronged or failed us, but when we see our own sin and need of forgiveness before God, it ought to lead us to be merciful toward others. So Jesus instructs us to pray, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”

Do Not Lead Us into Temptation, but Deliver Us from the Evil One

            This request concerning temptation and being delivered from the evil one shows that prayer is also about gaining spiritual victory. We may not realize it, but great people of God have been people of prayer. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. . . If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” Those who know and follow Christ can expect to have their prayers answered, and they must remember that without Christ, they cannot be successful spiritually. The Scripture teaches that, in the realm of spirituality, there is a battle taking place between the forces of light and darkness (cf. Eph. 6:12). This manifests itself on a physical level, but it takes place behind the scenes, so to speak. Prayer affords us the opportunity to be prepared to face the situations that will be brought our way with confidence in God and His power resting upon us. When Daniel (in the Old Testament) was under the imperial decree forbidding prayer, he went on as usual with his worship practices. This led him to be thrown into a den of lions as punishment, but he faced it with courage and dignity because of the fortitude received from time with God.

            An important principle we must always keep in mind is that private practice determines public performance. We can be inspired by a great athlete or musician and be amazed at their ability. We may even say that these people are so gifted, and we wish we could do those things. But what is easily overlooked is the amount of time spent working on developing and perfecting their abilities. Perhaps we could be quite good at a sport or an instrument if we put the hours and hours of toil necessary to become proficient. In the same way, if we are going to be spiritually proficient, we must privately prepare with discipline in order to see spiritual growth and productivity. We must seek God regularly in prayer and time in His Word, asking Him for help in the spiritual battle we face.

The Reason for Prayer

“For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

This final phrase brings us back to where we began in this prayer: God’s glory. Though this phrase is not found in all of the ancient manuscripts, it does provide us with a Scripturally- based conclusion to the prayer (cf. I Chronicles 29:11). We pray, not out of duty or selfish motives, but because of who God is: the One who possesses the ultimate authority, power, and glory forever.  And so Christ-followers are to be people of prayer, following the pattern presented by the Lord Jesus in this passage. This is why the “Lord’s Prayer” was given to us, not a prayer to recite thoughtlessly, but a model for how to pray effectively.

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Pray - Part 2

The Requests of Prayer

Hallowed Be Your Name

            I mentioned before how people can pray this prayer without really giving thought to what it means. It reminds me of children learning to pledge to the U.S. flag in school but not really understanding what it means until someone explains it, or upon reflection when they are older. Many have heard or prayed “hallowed be Your name” but do not have a clear idea of what this means. “Hallowed” carries the idea of being set part in an important way. We, if we are not careful, can approach prayer as if we are presenting a wish list to Santa Claus, whereas Jesus says our first priority is to be about God’s name, God’s honor, God’s reputation.

            Prayer, then, is about bringing glory to God, and God is honored (hallowed) when we praise Him and when He is seen to be at work through our prayers. In the book of John, we hear Jesus saying, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” When God’s people are answered by their Father in Heaven, people are able to see God for who He is. Pastor J. D. Greear tells of one of his experiences:

When I lived among Muslims in Southeast Asia, there were times I just didn’t know what to do or say to make Jesus known to them. So I’d offer to pray for sick people. I laid hands on dozens of people and prayed for them in Jesus’ name. Some of them got better. I’ll never forget the day a group of 12-year-old boys rang my doorbell so one could ask me to pray for his mother. I heard a kid in the back of the group say, “Why are you asking him to come? He’s not a Muslim.” The other boy said, “Yes, but this is a man God listens to.” (Greear, 233–234)

            Followers of Christ are to pray in order that God will be exalted as He does His mighty work. So our first request is “Hallowed be Your name.”

Your Kingdom Come, Your Will Be Done

            The next two requests continue with the priority of focusing on God, and they show that prayer is about aligning ourselves with God’s purposes. When Jesus Himself was facing His impending crucifixion, He went to a garden to pray, and this is what Matthew recounts:

Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

                Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” (Matthew 26:36–42)

            Jesus was in agony over what He was about to face. Clearly His own desire was to avoid bearing sin on the cross and drinking the cup of wrath, but repeatedly, after pouring out His emotions, He submissively prays, “Your will be done.” If the Son of God struggled in prayer, it is to be expected that we will have to struggle in prayer at times. But prayer is meant to bring us to the place where, in drawing close to God with our inmost feelings, we can ultimately say that we want His will to be done.

            Praying for God’s kingdom to come entails a desire to see God at work in the lives of others, that His rule in the hearts of people will be advanced, but it also entails a desire for Christ to come again and rule on earth in His righteous kingdom. Followers of Christ should desire that more and more people will be brought into right relationship with the King of Heaven and be prepared for His rule on earth. I am happy to say I have seen God tremendously answer prayer for His work in changing people’s lives. On the other hand, when we pray with wrong, self-centered motives, we cannot expect that prayer to be answered. This explains why people who blame God for not answering prayer have a misconception of how God works. Jesus says prayer is not for expecting whatever we may wish but for aligning ourselves with God’s purposes and praying for Him to bring about what He deems best: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.”

Works Cited:

J. D. Greear, Gospel: Rediscovering the Power that Made Christianity Revolutionary (Nashville: B & H Publishing Group, 2011).

All Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Pray

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.

“Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. In this manner, therefore, pray:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive

you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive

your trespasses.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:7–13)

It is ironic that the prayer given by Jesus in this passage has been used in a rigidly repetitious manner, to the point that many who know the “Lord’s Prayer” have not thoroughly considered what it means. And this is right after Jesus finishes saying not to use “vain” or “empty” repetitions. What Jesus says is that we are to pray “in this manner.” In other words, this prayer provides a pattern for us to follow, not a prayer that we are obligated to repeat word-for-word (though this is not wrong to do provided we mean what we are saying).

The Recipient of Prayer

            First, Jesus shows that we must consider to whom we are praying. He refers to God as “our Father.” The Scripture teaches that all who have faith in Christ have become the children of God, and are given the “Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15b).

            At one time, I worked as an afterschool caregiver for an elementary school children near Boston, MA. The particular community that I worked in had a fairly high Jewish population, and I distinctly remember one of the little Jewish boys running up to his father saying, “Abba! Abba!” This is a term denoting affection and close relationship, and this little boy was so happy to see his father that he could not help crying out with loving joy at the sight of him. The Scripture teaches that we can know God as our Father, even as a Father we are close enough to speak of as “Abba.”  Jesus says that when we approach God in prayer, we are to think in relational terms. We are not praying in some abstract sense, merely voicing our thoughts and wishes into the great unknown. We are speaking to a Person, whom we relate to as our adopted Father.

            Jesus adds, however, that God is “our Father in heaven.” I was taught to pray, “Dear heavenly Father” based on Jesus’ teaching here, but having heard and used this so much, it is easy to forget what this really means. It reveals that we are privileged to pray to the One who is in heaven and is above and in control of all things. The songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman addresses this theme:

The morning finds me
Here at heaven's door,
A place I've been
So many times before.
Familiar thoughts
And phrases start to flow,
And carry me to places that
I know so well.

But dare I go
Where I don't understand?
And do I dare
Remember where I am?
I stand before
The great eternal throne,
The one that God
Himself is seated on.
And I, I've been invited as a son.
Oh I, I've been invited to come and

Believe the unbelievable,
Receive the inconceivable,
And see beyond
My wildest imagination.
Lord, I come with
Great expectations.

Sometimes prayer can be perceived as a boring or superfluous activity, but if we

remembered that we are praying at the “great eternal throne” then we would truly come with wonder, humility, and anticipation, and this is what Jesus desires us to do.

Works Cited:

“Great Expectations” by Steven Curtis Chapman

© 1999 Sparrow Song (a div. of EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Primary Wave Brian (Chapman Sp Acct) (Admin. by Wixen Music Publishing, Inc.)

Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

How Christ-Followers Are to Approach Religion

One of the greatest indicators of human depravity is our capacity to take something as good and wholesome as godly religion and twist it for self-centered purposes. This is what Jesus is dealing with here, and it is something He sought to address often in His ministry. Of the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus commented that “all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’” (Matthew 23:5–7). This is a warning that we must not assume that simply because we engage in religious practices, we are truly honoring and pleasing God. Jesus declares that His followers are to be people who use religion rightly, and this is found in having the right motive. It is not enough to do good things, we must do them for the right reasons.

He presents three religious practices in order to reveal the wrong approach to religion and to instruct His followers how to engage in these practices rightly.

Charity

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:1–4)

            It is easy to assume that if one is engaged in a good endeavor, then that person is acting in a righteous manner. But Jesus reveals once again that righteousness is not only a matter of our outward behavior but of our heart as well. The first example can be seen in relation to giving to the needy. Surely this is a morally upright thing to do. But Jesus points out that some people do this for the sake of reputation, not out of love for God or others. A graphic example of this is found in a situation that took place very early in church history when church members were selling what they owned in order to supply for their needy brothers and sisters in Christ. Luke recounts in the book of Acts:

But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and with his wife's knowledge he kept back for himself some of the proceeds and brought only a part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? ⁴ While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.” When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. And great fear came upon all who heard of it. The young men rose and wrapped him up and carried him out and buried him.

After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. And Peter said to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much.” And she said, “Yes, for so much.” But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. When the young men came in they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all who heard of these things. (Acts 5:1–11, ESV)

God was obviously not pleased in this situation. Even though Ananias and Saphira sold property and gave money to others, they lied about it and said they were giving all the money they had made. It seems they wanted to be known as having been sacrificial and generous, to the point that they were willing to lie to the apostle Peter (and ultimately God Himself). This duplicitous behavior was judged severely by God, but the church learned a valuable lesson.

Jesus teaches that those who give in order to bolster their reputation, sounding a trumpet

(metaphorically) so that others will see what they have given, will only receive the reward of immediate recognition. The correct approach is to give without making sure that others know, and then we have the assurance of receiving God’s approval and reward.

Prayer

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Jesus, Matthew 6:5–8)

            Prayer is another religious activity that obviously is a good thing. But once again, Jesus shows how people use it for wrong purposes. A sign of the misuse of prayer is either praying for show or praying ritualistically. Some people would make sure to pray where they would be seen or, as Jesus mentions elsewhere, pray long prayers to impress others (cf. Matthew 23:14). As foolish as this sounds, the human heart has such a strong tendency to do things for the wrong reasons, and that is exactly what we must look at in our lives.

            Praying ritualistically is going through the motions of prayer in order to make sure we get what we want or out of obligation. There are many variations of ritualistic prayer, as John MacArthur points out:

Many Buddhists spin wheels containing written prayers, believing that each turn of the wheel sends that prayer to their god. Roman Catholics light prayer candles in the belief that their requests will continue to ascend repetitiously to God as long as the candle is lit. Rosaries are used to count off repeated prayers of Hail Mary and Our Father, the rosary itself coming to Catholicism from Buddhism by way of the Spanish Muslims during the Middle Ages. Certain charismatic groups in our own day repeat the same words or phrases over and over until the speaking degenerates into unintelligible confusion (John A. Broadus, Matthew [Valley Forge, Pa.: Judson, 1886], p. 130). (MacArthur, 368–369)

And in case there are any others whose toes have not been stepped on, MacArthur goes on to say,

All of us, of course, have been guilty of repeating the same prayers meal after meal and prayer meeting after prayer meeting—with little or no thought of what we are saying or the One to whom we are supposedly speaking. Prayer that is thoughtless and indifferent is offensive to God, and should also be offensive to us. (MacArthur, 369)

Jesus presents an entirely different perspective on prayer than how many approach it (which we will look at more thoroughly in a future post on “The Lord’s Prayer”). But the main point here is to recognize that prayer is to be about truly relating to God. It is not for showing others our religiosity or for somehow meriting our wishes. It is a means to draw near to God, and an indication that we are truly seeking God is that we spend time with Him privately in prayer. Praying with the right motives pleases and is rewarded by God.

Fasting

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Jesus, Matthew 5:16–18)

If there is any act that seems to demonstrate self-denial, fasting (going without food) ranks highly. But even this religious activity, Jesus says, can actually be an act of self-promotion. After all, the more drastic our endeavor is, the more potentially impressed others may be at what we are doing. The funny thing to picture is the religious people Jesus speaks of, who “disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting.” They make sure everyone knows how uncomfortable they feel. This applies to our own lives, not only in the case of fasting, but with any act of sacrifice or self-denial. If we are doing it for the wrong-reason we will either make sure others know or we will resent when we are not recognized for our “selfless efforts.” But if we are fasting or sacrificing out of love for God, then there is no reason to be concerned about others knowing, which is why Jesus instructs His followers to act and look like normal when they fast.

Conclusion: On Christians Putting On a Show

In this portion of the sermon, Jesus has dealt heavily with using religion for selfish purposes. In the age of American Idol and large stadiums filled with screaming fans, Christ-followers need to take a hard look at whether they are getting caught up in the pursuit of self-glorification. While it may seem this problem is relegated mainly to the context of secular entertainment, Christianity has built up its own platforms for granting celebrity status to individuals. This is not to say that being well-known is wrong, but Jesus shows that when we are using religion to become celebrities, whether in front of 1,000, 100, or 10 people, we are only getting a physical, temporary reward. A realistic view tells us that, at best, our popularity will last several decades but will not benefit us beyond the grave. Jesus is showing that living for God’s glory will gain His reward, which is beneficial in both this life and in the next.

Work Cited:

John F. MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Matthew 1–7 (Chicago: Moody Press, 1985).

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.