It Isn't the Way It Was

“I suppose therefore that this is good for the present distress…” (1 Cor. 7:26a)

The situation was not always going to be the way it was then. Paul knew that, but do we? He was instructing the Corinthian believers on such interpersonal subjects as celibacy, marriage and divorce, and the servant-master relationship. During those trying times for the Early Church, when husbands, wives, and children were being separated and persecuted, it might be better for unmarried men and women, he suggested, to remain unmarried, something contrary to accepted Jewish teaching. Staying single, however, would not break any of God’s perennial laws; therefore, present circumstances could influence present actions.

As a matter of fact, to insert cultural practices of the past into present day dogma is to repeat the mistakes of the majority of the New Testament Jews. They were so fixated on the outward ritual of the past that they didn’t recognize the Lamb of God who stood behind it all, and who now stood before them. I say this reverently: they couldn’t see the forest for the trees.

For instance, we trivialize our submission as Christian wives if we gauge it by such things as the length of our hair, the quietness of our speaking voice, or the number of children we have produced. Believe me, it reaches much farther and deeper than that! When I read about the virtuous woman in Proverbs thirty-one, is God trying to tell me to make my own clothes or make a godly, loving home for my family? Is it about the wool, and the flax, and the coverings of tapestry, or the trusting heart of her husband and the earned admiration of her children?

Again, shall the early churches’ practice of greeting one another with a “holy kiss” make me fair game for any man in our congregation? This is where I echo the words of Paul: “We have no such custom”! That’s exactly what I’m talking about here: customs. As my husband says, “Customs are not commands.” And, frankly, I have found it to be the case that those who focus on the former tend to let the latter slide. You know, “strain at a gnat and swallow a camel”?

God’s moral commands are timeless, as we know time. They are binding in any culture. Customs change, however, and when they do, as long as they don’t impinge upon God’s laws, they can be good—sometimes better—than what they replace. But, one way or another, it isn’t the way it was then; and it wasn’t the way it is now. And if you and I cannot get hold of this truth, we’ll spend our lives as a Pharisee or a hypocrite—probably both.       

"The Energies of a Glorious Optimism"

“And the disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” – Acts 13:52

I’ve finally reached that age of expectation in Scripture: “threescore years and ten” (Psl. 90:10). I must say, it came sooner than I expected and with less flourish than I might have hoped for. J As I look back, I find so many wonderful memories to which I could cling, but I can truthfully say, for me, anticipation outweighs nostalgia. I agree with the man who said: 

Expect the best! It lies not in the past.

God ever keeps the good wine till the last.

Beyond are nobler work and sweet rest.

Expect the best!

My title comes from an excerpt in a wonderful little essay by the great preacher, John Henry Jowett (1864-1923), entitled “The Power of the Holy Spirit,” which can be found in his book, Things That Matter Most: Devotional Papers. He gives three dynamics of Holy Spirit power in men as found in the book of Acts: 1)“an extraordinary power of spiritual apprehension” 2) “a magnificent force of character” 3) “the energies of a glorious optimism.” Allow me to share with you something he says about the last one:

And what is an optimist? He is a man who can scent the coming harvest when the snow is on the ground. He can “feel the days before him.” He can live in the distant June in the dingy days of December. That is an optimist, a man who can believe in the best in the arrogant and aggressive presence of the worst. He can be imprisoned in the desolations of Patmos and yet can see “the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God.” He can look at a poor, wayward, sinful Samaritan woman whose life is scorched like a blasted heath, and He can say, “The fields are white already unto harvest.” And this power of optimism is always operative in the apostolic life. I find it in the springiness of their soul…These men could not be held down. The spirit of optimism was ever present.

Someone has said, “You can tell how old you are by all the things you’ve done; and you can tell how young you are by all the things you still want to do.” Maybe that’s why I don’t feel so old. I’m not speaking physically, of course; my body would tell you a different story. But, praise the Lord, holy enthusiasm for the future isn’t dependent upon that! It’s my spirit that says to Jesus what the ruler of the bridal feast in Cana said, “Thou hast kept the good wine until now” (Jno. 2:10). I’m looking ahead for “nobler work,” and finally, “sweet rest.” And that, my friend, can infuse the world’s most lethargic pessimist with “the energies of a glorious optimism”!

Goin' Places

“And he brought us out…that he might bring us in…” (Deut. 6:23)

Whatever side your spiritual understanding leans to in the age-old argument of free will versus predestination, it would seem to me that the foreknowledge of God cannot be denied (although some do). It’s one of several arguments He offers for His claim to being the one and only true God, in Isaiah forty-six. “…yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it” (v. 11). He is not only purposeful, He is inevitable in His purpose. I pass along this bit of doctrine because what you believe, in many cases, determines how you live. Here’s what it says to me.

If I thought God was going to be as surprised as I am by situations that arise in my life, I’d be tempted to take over the reins. After all, there’s no need in both of us being taken off guard…right? Should I submit to a god as limited as I? I think these are valid questions. However, if, on the other hand, God’s vision extends not only to where I am but also to where I am going, His foresight trumps mine every time, and I’d be a fool to trust my own short-sighted instincts. And, furthermore, if I know He not only sees ahead, but has actually mapped out my journey, with the added benefit of GPS (God’s Personal Supervision), there’s no reason why I shouldn’t be able to maneuver through this life without constant fear or frustration. I am only taken off guard when my plans have superseded His.

We can be sure of this: when God changes our direction, He is simply bringing us “out,” in order to bring us “in.” We’re always “goin’ places” when we follow the Lord, and His plan for us always involves exchanging good for better, no matter how it may look at the time. God says in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” When God thinks about you and me, they are all peaceful thoughts, and our future, and indeed our end, will be just as He expects it to be.

If God has peace about our future, shouldn’t we?

Possessing Your Vessel

“That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour.” -1 Thess .4:4 “He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.” – Prov. 25:28

The two ideas are tantamount to the same thing, you know—possessing (having control of) your vessel and ruling your spirit. And they are both activities we like to assume is a job we can passively hand over to the Holy Spirit. Having Him as a permanent Resident within these vessels of clay we call our bodies is what puts muscle in our resolve; however, as these two verses attest, God insists that we make the decision to put that muscle to good use.

The verse in First Thessalonians suggests that personal sanctification involves a willful choice on the part of the believer. This is not the sanctification by the Holy Spirit that sets us apart for Heaven (“…God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation though sanctification of the Spirit…” 2 Thess. 2:13); but rather, it’s the sanctification that sets us aside for God to use (“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use...” (2 Tim. 2:13). In addition, as the verse tells us, this “vessel-possessing” is not a given in the Christian life. If it’s possible to know how to do it, as Paul says, it’s also possible not to know how to do it.

I think I hear a rumble within the ranks. “So, how do you do it?” I hear you say. Well, I could give you a list or a set of guidelines, and if I said it really well, I could probably sell lots of books! But there are two little words in the verse that stop me: “…his vessel.” You see, I don’t live in your vessel; I live in mine. I may not always possess my vessel as I should, but I’ve lived with me long enough, and experienced enough trial and error, to have a pretty good idea of what it takes to have victory over sin in my own life. I can’t plead either ignorance or inexperience! I could tell you the things that motivate me toward personal holiness—like the love of God, and the dread of bringing reproach upon His name, for example; but I’ve come to believe this:

Each of us must cultivate a relationship with God that finds its own reasons for faithfulness.

So this isn’t written so much to instruct you, as it is to inspire you—us—in the hard but important business of biblically maintaining the vessels in which God has given us to live. The verse in Proverbs gives us an idea of what’s at stake here. If a person who lacks rule over his or her spirit is like a city with crumbling walls, those of us who don’t take seriously personal sanctification will always be fair game for the enemy. And make no mistake, he may not strike immediately, but he always does eventually. Now is the time to keep the walls of separation between Satan and us in good repair. Now is the time to make sure we know how to possess our vessels “in sanctification and honour.” And it is a matter of honor.

“If you want to reach your spiritual potential, you must learn to tell your body it can’t have everything it wants.” – Pastor Perry Kallis

         

Are You Listening

“Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house…they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.” Ezekiel 12:2

Just because you have ears, it doesn’t always mean you’re listening.

My sister recently told me about a humorous incident she experienced once. I should point out, she has quite a few of these. She walked into one of the ladies’ restrooms in her church, she said, and noticed there were two purses sitting on the counter near the washbasins. Thinking she’d have a little fun with the two women in the stalls, she said in a loud voice, “Oh, two purses! Think I’ll have a look and see what’s inside them.” She waited to hear what kind of a response she’d get, but imagine her surprise when two of the deaf ladies of the church emerged from the stalls! Obviously, her practical joke was a waste. J

Ears have more than one function, but their main one is hearing. They may be nice for displaying beautiful earrings, but it’s no substitute for being able to hear lovely music or the sound of children’s laughter. Jesus spoke often about having “ears to hear.” It’s obvious that He wasn’t talking about the ability to hear, but the virtue of listening and heeding. And we know one can “hear” by way of fingertips (Braille) or the eyes, in reading.

It would seem to me that we’re all auditory “challenged” one way or another through life. For instance, the young child must be trained to pay attention. As we get older, we soon learn the sometimes sanity saving art of tuning someone out while looking dead at the person. And one of the most frustrating things about getting older is experiencing the growing loss of hearing.

I said all these things to drive one thing home to us: When you and I became part of the family of God, one piece of equipment we were given was “ears to hear.” By that I mean we’re supplied with an infallible Master Book of encouragement, instruction, and warning, along with a personal Interpreter (the Holy Spirit) to make sure we have everything we need for a victorious, satisfying and influential Christian life.

The true child of God has a fully operational sense of hearing, and most of us start out paying attention, fascinated by the prospect of communion with God and His Son. Later on, sadly, some of us become so distracted by the clamor and caterwauling of this world that we find artful ways to tune out Biblical principles and Holy Spirit warnings. Finally, we may just allow the Father’s sweet wooing to fellowship to become fainter and fainter, satisfied to live on memories, instead of daily encounters. But Micah 6:1 says “Hear ye now what the LORD saith…”

God warned in Amos 8:11 that there was a famine coming. Not a famine of bread and water, He said, but a famine of “hearing the words of the LORD.” Not the words but hearing the words. I would contend that time has arrived. It’s possible to have perfect hearing but be spiritually deaf. And that, dear friend, is a life altering waste.

Are you listening?