TO KNOW CHRIST AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN

TO KNOW CHRIST AND TO MAKE HIM KNOWN

Monday, July 25, 2016

The meaningless die meaningless...

For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun.
(Ecclesiastes 9:5-6 ESVST)

The living know they will die, but often live as if they will not. The truth of the matter is very simple: we will all die. Death is as much a part of life as life. The day of our birth is special, the day of our death is special, and it is filled in-between with either meaningful or meaningless activity.

Meaningless activity would be activity that dies with the person or shortly after the person dies. Meaningful activity is something that will last for eternity.

Whenever we are involved in things that focus on us in the here and now, we focus on the futile. Then we wonder why we feel so insignificant. We feel insignificant because we have not enjoyed the source of significance.

We were made to enjoy God and will find no joy without Him.

Sunday, July 24, 2016

Maybe they knew something.....


A funny cycle keeps happening in history that might be worth noting. Those who are living now tend to look at those who have gone before them with admiration for what they accomplished, yet they often seem to think that the preceding generation was somewhat simple or naive.

When I entered Christian camping and attended the Christian Camping International conferences there was both an air of apparent respect, as well as a feeling of superiority that seemed to permeate the younger camping professionals.

The tone and content of the message was that the founders were very nice men of faith who were a bit simplistic, and that the “industry” was fortunate that another generation came along to rescue the obviously perishing.

These “founders” were men of simplistic faith. They borrowed money without a plan to pay it back. They staffed the camps with untrained volunteers. They created activities that were not installed or inspected by professionals. They made decisions. They got their hands dirty and actually worked the soil of the grounds during the day, and did the desk work when they were too tired to work outside. They didn’t and couldn’t pay people, so they used volunteers. They seemed to always be on the edge of disaster, but also seemed to have learned to balance on the edge rather well.

In many ways, these men were like Noah, Daniel and the boys, and Elijah. They knew God and listened to Him, and that alone was the secret to their success.

Today, before this generation would build an ark, they would need a feasibility plan, a budget, and evacuation plans in case the ship sprung a leak. The project would not start until double the funds were in so that there could be enough funds in the bank to maintain the vessel. There would have had to have been a public relations campaign to insure the public that Noah was not nuts, and an exhaustive study on how to get the animals to move on demand, so that they would enter the ark.

We would also need an exit strategy before we started, and a plan for how we would govern the people aboard the ark, address the maintenance issues we would encounter, and brainstorm as to how we would handle every possible adversity that may arise.

Or, we could do as Noah did, and get up the day after he was told to build an ark, and get busy building it.

Modern pastors and teachers seem to always be looking for something newer and better, when, in reality, there is nothing new under the sun. The modern-day preachers are not more educated, more gifted or talented, nor have additional insight, and in fact, they may be lazy as they ride the tide of a generation that understood that all life is about God, not man, and actually was guided by and trusted Him.

American Christians have become like secular America, in that physical laborers are tough to find, in that most want desk jobs, an easy life, and respect without doing anything to earn it.

Many gauge the success of their work by attendances, offerings, and facilities, which would be the same criterion by which secular businesses judge themselves.

Many pastors talk of the grueling schedule they keep, and the stress they live under, as if those in other professions lack stress and gruel, and if you doubt how hard they work and how stressful their jobs are, you only need to ask them, and they would be glad to tell you all about it.
One of the stark contrasts in those who minister today as compared to the founders is the specialization that has occurred. Some just teach and have rather little contact with the people. Some just do the business side of the ministry. Some just do the cleaning, some the marketing, and so forth.

The Christian camping founders did not have those lines. They did whatever was necessary to get the job done, and often knew that there were those who were more qualified, but unwilling, so the less qualified did the work, only to be criticized by those who could have done it better, but would not.

In fact, many Christian works have been criticized throughout the years because of their lack of “professionalism” by the professionals who themselves are unwilling to participate. After years of leading a ministry, I am accustomed to the idea that everyone can do my job better, but they, too, are unwilling.

While playing collegiate football, I learned that a football team could only play with the players that were actually on the field. The injured or talented that would not join the team would not have any effect on the outcome of the game. Likewise, these Christian camping founders understood that you can only play with those who “suit up,” and that the many who did not “suit up” will sit and evaluate, and even criticize, those who do.

I think the Christian camping founders would think that we took the treasure they handed us and buried it in hopes that we would not lose it, when we should have been following their lead by investing our time and energy in the impossible, so that generations to come would be able to clearly see our God. I could only imagine what some of our ministries would look like if the founders would have continued on for many years.

Instead, future generations will clearly see business plans, long range plans, and other ideas that are now as common in ministry as they are at Wal-Mart stores.

Those who are in leadership today would be wise to learn from those who went before them, realizing that 100 years from now, should Christ not have returned yet, those who are running the ministries will be looking at us as simple and naive people, for they will have learned and grown so throughout the years.

The job we have on this earth is to know Christ and to make Him known, and the best position to do that from is one of obvious inadequacy. This has not changed and will not change. The modern generation’s focus on adequacy changes everything, and will only lead to ineffectiveness, for you should not attempt to change what cannot change.

Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.


Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Looking in the Mirror

Do not take to heart all the things that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. Your heart knows that many times you yourself have cursed others.
(Ecclesiastes 7:21-22 ESVST)

This verse holds the key to a leader's sanity. If anyone is in leadership, they will be doubted. In fact, many who are under your authority believe that they can do your job better than you, and  all whom you serve could give you a lesson on how to serve them better.

Everybody wants to have their voice heard, but they do not really mean that they want you to hear them. They want to you listen to them and do what they say. If not, they will claim that you do not listen to them.

A leader hears many voices and, probably, actually listens to them, but in the end, he still needs to make a decision that he alone is responsible to make, and for which he alone will stand accountable for before God.

I have been guilty of criticizing leaders, and was wrong to do so, for my information was limited, and my criticism was to enhance what those around me thought of me. When I focus on me, it always turns out poorly.

Friday, July 15, 2016

Having It All But Possessing Nothing.

There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil.
(Ecclesiastes 6:1-2 ESVST)

There are those who have much, yet live in poverty. They are spiritually bankrupt, ethically challenged, and enslaved in the saddest possible way.

Imagine having it all but having nothing. There seems to be a game that must be played in convincing those around you that having it all fuels significance and security, when those who have it all are the most insignificant and insecure people group.

Those who have nothing can lose nothing. Those who have much can lose much. Therefore, those who have much are often more anxious, angry, and arrogant.

It is hard for a rich person to love God, for they are too busy loving what God has given them.

When one is entrusted with possessions and honor, one must understand that these things are given to him/her to be used to help others, not as provision for self-indulgent lifestyle.

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Money

He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity. When goods increase, they increase who eat them, and what advantage has their owner but to see them with his eyes? Sweet is the sleep of a laborer, whether he eats little or much, but the full stomach of the rich will not let him sleep.
(Ecclesiastes 5:10-12 ESVST)

We often hear that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, yet we seldom have a definition for the term. Here we are given a definition.

Those who are not satisfied with their income love money.

Loving money does not work in that money is something we are to use, not love. We tend to use things we should love, and love things we should use.

Those who focus on their income are slaves to their income. They will change locations, abandon relationships, break promises, and sacrifice precious moments in order to gain a little more. Their significance is tied to their income, something that one day will be gone or given to others to squander.

We cannot love God and money.

Monday, July 11, 2016

"3" MAY BE THE PERFECT NUMBER

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
(Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 ESVST)

We were not meant to be alone. We never operate best alone. In fact, the gifts God has given us are wasted when not exercised in the context of community. Man does not operate well alone, and was not meant to ever be alone.

Strength comes in numbers. The greater the number of body parts that have unfettered access to the brain, the greater the ability to accomplish great things.

Significant people have at least three other important relationships in their lives. They have someone older from whom they can learn, someone younger whom they can teach, and God, to whom they can submit.

One strand is not only easy to break. It breaks often and is in constant need of repair.

Sunday, July 10, 2016

Pokeman Game Should Be Avoided

Years ago a missionary friend of mine shared an experience that took place in the jungle. In light of the fact that there is a Pokeman game captivating many I share this story with you.

Bautista and Pokeman
Again, this has been posted previously, and is being reposted by request.

As missionaries working with the Yanomamö, I am constantly reminded that when it comes to spiritual matters, I am not the expert. Bautista was an ex-witchdoctor. He accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ many years ago when my parents first started working with his tribe back in the early 50s. Although still a young man when they arrived to his village, he was a witchdoctor of considerable fame. He had already attained to the highest level known as “ijiluwalewä, or “child eater,” because he could attack other villages in the spirit world stealing the souls of a child there, causing the child to die. These souls were given to the many cannibal spirits who were his accomplices in this “murder.” The soul would then be eaten by these demon cannibal spirits. Although having attained the highest he could go, by his own admission, he was being overwhelmed by the bondage he was under even before he heard about the saving power of the gospel, so once he clearly understood that Christ was the only way to be freed from this bondage, he accepted Christ’s claim on his life and his life has never been the same.
One of the times I was reminded of how much more the expert he is in spiritual matters happened one day a couple of years ago. We had been in the jungle many long weeks with no mail from home when the plane landed bringing us a package. I was excited as I took it home. “Look hon, a package from the Wauconda Free church” I gave her the package and she opened it up, she, as excited as I was. Enclosed was a book. Now that in itself was a big enough disappointment because I wanted some “real mail” like maybe a box of chocolates or something, but when I saw the cover, I was even more disappointed. It was a book on the pokeman cartoon characters. I am old school on cartoons (Bugs Bunny, road runner and their friends) and really don’t get into any of the new ones, especially ones that look as ugly as these did. Then we noticed there was also a letter enclosed with the book and we read it together. “Dear Mike,” it said…it seems the church was having a discussion about pokeman, with the church divided about this “toy.” So they were sending this book of all the pokeman characters to me asking me to have Bautista look at it and see what he thought about the characters.
Well, that was more interesting than just having a book of ugly cartoons for the boys, but to be honest, this was pretty low priority for me. As a matter of fact, Keila had been asking me for weeks to watch a video tape of these same cartoons, that our son Stephen really liked. She claimed his attitude really changed after watching these cartoons. I told her I would and really planned on watching it with him, but we are extremely busy in the jungle and I had not had a chance yet. But to be honest, I did not place much importance on this book. But one day while I was talking with Bautista, Keila remembered the book and ran upstairs to get it. She handed the book to me. Opening the book at random, showing him a picture I asked.  “What do you think of this?” He looked at it, and said, “Oh, I know this one!” He suddenly had my attention!
He went on, “Oh, this is a nasty little Jecula. (demon) It is always underfoot, bites, scratches, screeches and what not.” I looked at the page, and on the list of attributes, it said, “bites, scratches, screeches, claws…” and I forget what else, but it was as if Bautista was reading the page, and he does not read or speak one word of English. I figured that the first one could have been just a lucky guess, so I flipped the page to another picture and asked him about that one, again, he told me exactly what it’s attributes were. He did that over and over. So he made a believer out of me! About that time, Keila ran upstairs to call Stephen and he came down reluctantly, not wanting to hear anything and determined to not allow anyone to do anything to his cartoon tape. His frown slowly disappeared as he listened to Bautista describe the attributes of each cartoon that he knew. By the time Bautista was finished, Stephen went upstairs and brought his tape down and he and Keila destroyed it. So he made a believer out of Stephen as well.
 There were some he did not recognize, and he said. “There are so many demons, it is impossible for any one person to know them all.” Then he added, “tell the people from your churches, that if there are things that make them feel uncomfortable, it is probably not good. God’s Spirit will speak to them about what is right and wrong.” Your people need to learn to listen!”

Friday, July 8, 2016

Forced Fantasy

I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away.
(Ecclesiastes 3:14-15 ESVST)

There is only one real power in the universe, God. He is the only one who has the power and authority to grant life and take life. He is the only one who can make sense out of life, death, suffering, and prosperity.

When we try to ignore Him, we are attempting to avoid the only reality there is, and are thereby forced to live in a fantasy world. This fantasy world is most fragile, and is held together with lies, deceit, and the false promise of a better tomorrow, when apart from God there is no hope for any tomorrow.

A wise person starts and ends with the premise that there is a God and he/she is not Him, and then lives in that context. A fool lives as if he/she is sovereign, when in reality he/she is nothing.

Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Made to be hungry?

So I became great and surpassed all who were before me in Jerusalem. Also my wisdom remained with me. And whatever my eyes desired I did not keep from them. I kept my heart from no pleasure, for my heart found pleasure in all my toil, and this was my reward for all my toil. Then I considered all that my hands had done and the toil I had expended in doing it, and behold, all was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.
(Ecclesiastes 2:9-11 ESVST)

This was said by one who actually had it all, not one who wanted it all. If you dream about having it all, you are never satisfied with what you have, and then, when you get it all, you miss the hungry years, for there is a wonderful satisfaction that only takes place in the struggle, and is not available to the victor.

Perhaps we were made to be hungry and not satisfied. Perhaps we were made to work and not rest. Perhaps our only satisfaction can come from enjoying God, and we can never seem to enjoy Him enough. 

Monday, July 4, 2016

Where is the gain?

What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?
A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.
The sun rises, and the sun goes down, and hastens to the place where it rises.
The wind blows to the south and goes around to the north; around and around goes the wind,
and on its circuits the wind returns.  All streams run to the sea, but the sea is not full; to the place where the streams flow, there they flow again.
(Ecclesiastes 1:3-7 ESVST)

Some people make living this life their goal. They work hard at living in hopes that they provide enough for themselves in order to ensure they would stay alive until they die.

All people will make that goal. It is not a noble goal. In fact, it is a foolish goal. No man knows the time of his death. Only God knows that. No man can care for Himself apart from God. Without God we have no past, present, or future.

God and His purposes do not change. We would be wise to align our thoughts and actions to be in harmony with the things that will not change