Be VERY Afraid!

[1]

But there was a certain man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.  He brought part of the money to the apostles, claiming it was the full amount.  With his wife’s consent, he kept the rest.  Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart?  You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.  The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished.  And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away.  How could you do a thing like this?  You weren’t lying to us but to God!”  As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died.  Everyone who heard about it was terrified.  Then some young men got up, wrapped him in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  Peter asked her, “Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?”  “Yes,” she replied, “that was the price.”  And Peter said, “How could the two of you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this?  The young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will carry you out, too.”  Instantly, she fell to the floor and died.  When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.  Great fear gripped the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happened.  The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.  And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade.  But no one else dared to join them, even though all the people had high regard for them.  Yet more and more people believed and were brought to the Lord—crowds of both men and women.  As a result of the apostles’ work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter’s shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.  Acts 5:1-15^(NLT)

In our text the phrase great fear gripped the entire church is used to describe what happened to the good church folk of the First Church of Jerusalem.  I looked up the Greek words used in the manuscript.  “Megas phobos” (ìÝãáò  öüâïò) – means just that, great fear!  Those folks were afraid…VERY afraid; they were terrified!  There is no need for further clarification; there is no need to try to dance-around the meaning of “fear”.  We don’t need to substitute reverence or awe; they were petrified!  These early believers had their knees knocking over what had happened.

The incident recorded by good Dr. Luke is not about our responsibility to give; it is more about our responsibility to be genuine – not hypocrites.  The explanation of that is in the context.  There was much generosity and sharing going on.  Barnabas had sold a house and gave the proceeds to meet needs in the church family.  That was generous, and it was genuine. 

Many others were selling possessions and bringing the money to help the poor.  These were acts of generosity driven by a sense of genuine spiritual joy and thanksgiving, as well as compassion for those in need.  By contrast, the actions of Ananias and Sapphira were motivated by the hypocrisy of wanting to be thought spiritually-mature, by a big show of giving, but not actually letting-go of the money.  They were greedy, but wanted everyone to think they were generous.  They were not genuine; they were hypocrites.

The very premise of the story proves how spiritually-immature Ananias and his wife were; they were attempting to impress the people at the church, and ignoring the Lord of the church.  How dumb is that?  Ananias assumed he was able to hide his real intentions from both man and God.  That is certainly impossible.  You may deceive men, but God always knows what is in your heart. 

We have an example of that in the process of selecting the young shepherd boy David to be king, God revealed the way He looks at us all…

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.  Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”    1 Samuel 16:7b (NIV)

The fact that what happened to Ananias and Sapphira caused great fear to seize the church, leads me to conclude that (first…it was a pretty smart church group!), but that God really wanted great fear to seize the church.  God wanted the church to unite under the banner of fearing God.  I believe that is true today; God wants us to fear Him, to reverence and worship Him.

But, it seems there has never been a time when God has been less-feared – unless perhaps the day of Noah.  In our day, as with Noah, God is mocked, ignored, defied and blasphemed to an extent that seizes this preacher with a great fear for the next knock on the church door.  There are times I wonder who will be carried out next.

In the last few generations there has been such an emphasis on the love and tender mercy of God.  That is good, however I believe we have begun to forget that God is also a holy and righteous God.  He did not look the other way to ignore the sin and hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira; He will not ignore it in us today!

As we prepare to receive ashes, a visible sign of our inner repentance and sorrow over personal sins, it is a perfect time to talk about examining one’s life for such hypocrisy in our dealings with each other and the world. 

I would like for us to consider perhaps the main teaching of this passage.  It is found in the connection of the fear caused by exposure of sin, and the mighty things that God did when that fear of God became the unifying call for the church to live obediently.

Did you notice the progression? 

·       Ananias and Sapphira sinned

·       God judged

·       the people feared and began to live obediently

·       God went to work healing people and growing the church for His glory. 

Now, that is a domino-effect which you can trace, not only here in this text, but all throughout the Scripture and church history.  Let me cite a few examples:

There is an echo of Ananias and Sapphira in the Old Testament account of Joshua (7) and the children of Israel defeating the city of Jericho.  You may recall the miraculous victory; they marched around the city once-a-day for seven days.  On the seventh day they circled the city seven times, blew the horns and the walls fell flat…not one stone left standing on another. 

One of the clear directives God had given was to take no spoils…all the silver, gold and livestock belonged to God, and was to be returned to Him as a sacrifice offering.  

One of the soldiers named Achan tried to grab some of the choice items for himself.  He hid the gold and silver in his tent, thinking he’d gotten away with a real sweetheart 401(K) retirement plan.  He was right, except that retirement came the next day when God brought his sin to the surface.  He was brought to the edge of the camp and stoned to death with his entire family by the whole nation of Israel! 

The epilogue to Achan’s sin was that the nation of Israel became convinced that when God told them to keep their cotton-pickin’ hands off something, He meant it!  And they did it!  It led to great unity and obedience, and eventually, great victories. 

Years later, Ananias and Sapphira (as part of their upbringing) had been taught this story in synagogue school; they should have known better.  The pattern is sin, judgment, fear and repentance, God’s forgiveness and healing.

Another example:

In 1734 Jonathan Edwards of Northampton, Massachusetts began to preach sermons that depicted the foul state of obedience to God which existed at that time.  Many people who heard his sermons began to experience the judgment of God, and the revival became known as The Great Awakening.  Sin was exposed, judgment fell, people feared God and repented, and the Lord changed America.

Here, 284 years later, we have largely forgotten that fear.  Massachusetts, the cradle of a God-honoring revival that feared God, now is the poster child state of homosexual marriage and abortion. 

We sing of the sweet forgiveness and mercy of the Lord; we refer to the loving God as the man upstairs as.  We treat God as if He is always on our side, no matter how we live…or as if He is insignificant – not part of life’s equation.  That, my friends is how Ananias and Sapphira treated holy God.

Today, in a religious show we casually come to the Lord’s Table with little or no self-examination.  Today there are people all over America who will, without so much as a thought, eat the bread and drink the juice; it will trickle down, past hearts so blackened by unconfessed sin and animosity towards their fellow man that it will sour in their stomachs, and they won’t even know it.  Like Samson, they haven’t got a clue that the Lord has departed^[2].

Lives are lived in an expedient, pragmatic way these days.  Sin is winked at; anemic Christianity is excused as the best I can do, when it is really all I want to do, and the body of Christ is weakened daily in a show that makes the unbelieving world laugh, and the Holy Spirit of God weep.

Avoiding the Sin of Ananias & Sapphira

When we come to Lent, the season of preparation there are opportunities set before us, and challenges to those opportunities.  The challenge may present itself in different ways; however the main thrust is always the same: 

Will we lie to the Holy Spirit – or will we be genuine with God and each other?

The Scripture has given us what happened to Ananias and Sapphira.  Death for them was instantaneous…and God could do that again.  More often the death is by increments…by degrees, little steps, if you will. 

·       We die a little on this hypocrisy of saying we love and accept each other when we really don’t. 

·       We die a little more when we gossip about that brother or sister. 

·       We die a little more when we fudge the Income Tax form. 

·       We slide further down the path when we fail to do right. 

·       We scowl and get sick. 

·       We complain and the body of Christ aches. 

·       We remain negative and unbelieving…death, death, death!

The other choice in the challenge is to be repentant, fearing an Almighty God, a holy Lord.  In living that way we will be unified, thankful, joyful, lifting each other.  And when we act that way, with great fear seizing the church…in the next heartbeat you will see many signs and wonders.

It will not be the sign of prosperity, or the wonder of all the cream of society coming to join our church. 

·       It will be the dregs of humanity showing up at our doorstep, weak, sick, hungry, poor, sinful, spouse abusers at the end of their rope. 

·       It will be those on their 5^th or 6^th marriage wondering if there really is something of value in family life. 

·       It will be the descendants of those who were brought to be laid in Peter’s pathway, simply hoping to catch a little touch of his shadow as he passed by. 

And if the Lord brings such to our doorstep, it will be a sign and a wonder.  It will be the Lord’s way of saying to us, …this is my beloved church…well done good and faithful servants. 

Are you ready for that?  Caution!!!  Only say that with a heart that means it. 

God expects us to be afraid; be VERY afraid!  So…be afraid – fear the Lord right now.  Feel the thirst and hunger after righteousness.  Sense your need, give-in to His call, and come to the ashes and be marked for him. 

Let the church say Amen in the Name of the Father, Because of the Son, Cooperating with the Spirit…Amen!

Go to VIDEO

---

[1] Title Image See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Judges 16:20

Boasting

[1]

Thursday, August 24, 2017

When people commend themselves, it doesn’t count for much.  The important thing is for the Lord to commend them.   2 Corinthians 10:18^(NLT)

Paul had a public relations problem.  Wherever he went and established a new church there was a group who came after he left, trying to discredit the apostle’s emphasis on grace, and get the new believers to follow their rules.  Basically they relied on throwing the weight of their relationships with powerful people behind whatever they said.  In short – they bragged and boasted when simple statements weren’t enough.

There are times when you’ve got to just come out and admit failure; so, OK, I admit that I watch too much news with political commentary.  Hi, I’m Russell; I’m a CNN addict!  And, unfortunately for me, I only admit this when I get really sick and tired of watching the public haranguing of the politicians by the news people, and castigating of the news people by politicians.  It’s like a food fight on steroids!  You remember the old adage:  Never get in a mud-slinging contest with a pig; you both get dirty and the pig loves it!  The problem in our 21^st century culture is that people in public life do not understand that, or care about it, and they jump in the mud fest with both feet; pigs on both sides!

There are those who are a little more subtle.  They rarely sling mud, but they brag and boast until the only reality they actually have is the hollow, inflated-balloon public image they’ve created of their incredible wonderfulness; the person has vanished and only pride remains.

A church I served many years ago was without a music director.  Of all things, I (who cannot even carry someone else’s tune) was leading the singing.  A group of a dozen visitors showed up one Sunday morning. 

After the service, Carl, a very distinguished looking member of that group invited me to visit him and his wife at their home the next evening.  I showed up, and was treated to two hours of Carl showcasing his musical talents, complete with solo and framed music course certificates.  The evening ended with Carl’s statement:  Preacher, me and those other families want to join your church…if you’ll make me the song leader.  I told him I thought he and those other folks would probably be happier in another church. 

Boasting is a form of manipulation.  When a person feels a need to wear all his medals on display for the purpose of getting others to think he is something he knows he really isn’t, the effect is two-fold:

1.     The listener believes it or not, depending on the listener’s baloney-detecting skills, and…

2.     Heaven groans – because God not only knows how many hairs you have on your head (or don’t have); there is also that thing about Him being an omniscient God, the One who knows everything:

People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7b^(NLT)

For You Today

If you’ve been tempted recently to build your resume’ with stuff about how great you are, remember that bit of history about an unsinkable ship named Titanic!

Boast if you will, but make your boast about God, not you.

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

---

[1] Title Image: Courtesy  Pixabay.com

Riot - Part 2

[i]

Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Meanwhile, Korah had stirred up the entire community against Moses and Aaron, and they all gathered at the Tabernacle entrance.  Then the glorious presence of the Lord appeared to the whole community, and the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Get away from all these people so that I may instantly destroy them!”  But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground.  “O God,” they pleaded, “you are the God who gives breath to all creatures.  Must you be angry with all the people when only one man sins?”  And the Lord said to Moses,  “Then tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.” So Moses got up and rushed over to the tents of Dathan and Abiram, followed by the elders of Israel.  “Quick!” he told the people.  “Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and don’t touch anything that belongs to them.  If you do, you will be destroyed for their sins.”  So all the people stood back from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.  Then Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the entrances of their tents, together with their wives and children and little ones.  And Moses said, “This is how you will know that the Lord has sent me to do all these things that I have done—for I have not done them on my own.  If these men die a natural death, or if nothing unusual happens, then the Lord has not sent me.  But if the Lord does something entirely new and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and all their belongings, and they go down alive into the grave, then you will know that these men have shown contempt for the Lord.”  He had hardly finished speaking the words when the ground suddenly split open beneath them.  The earth opened its mouth and swallowed the men, along with their households and all their followers who were standing with them, and everything they owned.  So they went down alive into the grave, along with all their belongings.  The earth closed over them, and they all vanished from among the people of Israel.  All the people around them fled when they heard their screams.  “The earth will swallow us, too!” they cried.  Then fire blazed forth from the Lord and burned up the 250 men who were offering incense.  Numbers 16:19-35^(NLT)

Have you ever had the experience of a teacher punishing the whole class for the actions of a rowdy few?  It’s doesn’t seem fair, does it? 

God’s judgment of Korah and his followers seemed overly harsh.  Yet, of the people who perished that day, who among them hadn’t been confronted with the truth, and yet chose to stand with Korah’s rebellion?  Korah, Dathan, and Abiram may have been the ringleaders, stirring up the community, but the 250 priests carried incense with their own hands.

It’s really hard to figure out what God is up to when it comes to judgment.  Perhaps, like me, you have lots of questions about that.  For instance, it’s hard to understand why the punishment for Korah’s stubborn desire to serve God at the temple warranted him and his followers being swallowed-up by the ground.  On the other hand, Jonah refused to serve God and his one sermon saved 120,000 people in Nineveh.  Is that unbalanced?

I do not presume to judge God; quite the contrary, I know God is the only one able to pass judgment, and it is far wiser for me to pay attention to my own ways than to try to hold God accountable for what He does.  That would be light years above my pay grade.

Still, in the making sense of it all department, I’ve come to at least one understanding about what appears to be unfairness, or unevenness about God’s judging.  It’s a principle given to Samuel the Prophet after King Saul is rejected and Samuel is sent to anoint a new king.  As he is looking over the sons of Jesse, Samuel imagines one of the more regal-looking sons as the next king; God tells him to have his vision checked:

 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7^(NLT)

Therein is why we are not equipped to judge like God judges; we can’t see like God sees!

For You Today

When you discover something else about God that you don’t understand, before you stand with Korah, kneel with Moses; that will likely improve your vision!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

NOTES

---

 ^I Title image: By U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos (140403-M-PK171-789) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It Was Bound to Happen

[i]

Friday, December 30, 2016

The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them.  People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7b^(NLT)

One of the problems with you reading (or listening to) this devotional is that you’ve got to deal with my personal insecurities or crusade issues.  I write these pages at 5:00 in the morning as a response to what God’s Word speaks to me, after reading the day’s lectionary Scriptures.  Often that response hauls out a memory or leftover unresolved issue from my childhood. 

Sorry…I don’t plan it that way…but, for today:

You know that moment in school when you raised your hand with all the other kids because the teacher asked a question…and you didn’t want to appear stupid…so you stuck your paw up in the air…and in the split second it takes for your life to unravel, she calls on you, even though when your eyes made contact you were in the middle of pulling your hand down, because…you haven’t got a clue what the question meant, much less what the answer might be?

It was bound to happen – especially to me.  Because I was that kid who often didn’t raise my hand at all.  I followed the wise sage advice that it is better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt!

But one time I really thought I had the answer.  It was in 5^th grade, and we were in morning assembly – pledge allegiance, Lord’s Prayer, moment of silence, then singing the National Anthem…every day…every word. 

But that day was different.  We had a visiting famous person who played the piano and sang.  I can’t recall her name, but her name isn’t my childhood unresolved issue.  She played and sang a song, then asked if anyone knew who wrote the song.  I stuck that paw up in the middle of a sea of 4^th-5^th and 6^th graders – I think I surprised even me by doing that – but I knew the answer was right; it had to be Nat King Cole.  The singer-famous lady nodded in my direction; I blurted out Nat King COLE!!  And the whole assembly burst into laughter and rolled eyes; they had heard what I didn’t; the famous lady had asked if anyone knew what famous FEMALE author had written the song.  Nobody even knew what a gender reorientation surgery was back then, so there was no chance Mr. Cole had become a female singer/songwriter!  I sat down quickly in a pit of despair, wishing it were a bottomless-pit that would swallow me whole!  It was the longest day of my 11 year old life.

I didn’t raise my hand again in a crowd until graduate school 22 years later. 

It seems rather strange that a kid with that kind of introvert issues would eventually wind up talking in front of people, leading meetings and giving advice.  There had to be something less-painful to do with your life for someone who prefers the corner of the room…maybe be a forrest ranger deep in the Amazon.

Actually it only seems strange if you look at people like people look at people.  When you do that you judge what you do not know.  But when God looks at someone, He sees all the way past the introverted insecurity, and the rolled eyes of his classmates; God sees all the way into the heart and soul, and says:  I need that critter to go speak for me over the next 40 years to several congregations in a few Southern states. 

The fact is, even this critter doesn’t understand himself as well as God understands me.  But when He called, even though I wanted to run like Jonah, sulk like Elijah, equivocate like Peter, whine like Samuel, excuse myself like Moses…I listened…and have tried to be obedient. 

And sometimes what God has done with the kid who hated to be noticed by anyone, talk in front of anyone, be singled-out by any means…well it’s more surprising than Nat King Cole singing in a female falsetto voice.

For You Today

Have you got anything that God wants, but causes you to run for the pit?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road…have a blessed day!

Go to VIDEO

NOTES

---

[i] Title image: By Oregon Department of Transportation (Showing hands  Uploaded by Smallman12q), via Wikimedia Commons

Getting Angry & Ugly

[1]

Thursday, December 10, 2015

Watch Devotion VIDEO here

In an interview last year theologian N.T. Wright was answering a question about the issue of gay and lesbian rights. His answer included a little history lesson he’d seen on TV the previous night.  

The question’s set-up said that the government is on the (LGBTQ) side, and many people saying if you don’t support it you’re on the wrong side of history.  The question: who said in 1956, ‘History is on our side and we will bury you’?

Wright’s comment was, one of the contestants got the answer right: It was Nikita Khrushchev. When people claim, ‘We’re going with the flow of history,’ that’s just a rhetorical smokescreen. So, that’s where I am.[2]

Increasingly this year’s primary election season is getting more angry and ugly; that is, angrier and uglier than usual.  I’ve never been a fan of political wrangling; I don’t see it as even marginally-interesting, much less an art form. 

But this year is a special kind of ugly!

You can turn on the news channels at any time of day or night, and the lead story (if it’s not about mass-shootings) will be the newest most outlandish thing Donald Trump said, and the backlash from the rest of twelve thousand other candidates.

And most of the vitriolic name-calling has Mr. Trump on one side, and everyone else, including the so-called “objective” news anchors shouting back from the other side. 

And I do mean shouting…all at the same time.  One news show I watched had six political analysts hollering at each other at 120 decibels, sounding like magpies over a road kill.  It hurts my head! 

And still, with all the “shock-and-awe” of political angry-and-ugly, Mr. Trump’s candidacy grows in popularity and momentum.  One set of “reasoning” as to why his popularity grows is Mr. Trump resonates with what the American (Republican-party) voters see as long-overdue pushback against attacks on the Western way of life by Muslims.

For many of the analysts the driving point is that Mr. Trump’s continued ramping-up of the heat and anger in the free-for-all that is American contemporary politics, is the kind of demagoguery that taps into the fear in people’s minds created by the recent flurry of attacks.  Pushback is a powerful motivator, especially if someone else is willing to be the one to do it for you.

Now, this isn’t about Democrats and Republicans – it’s all about what’s in our hearts and minds, and who (or WHO) we are willing to trust.  Do we trust the political analysts, and go with the flow of history….or do we trust God’s view?

When Israel’s first king (Saul) messed up so badly that God sent the prophet Samuel to pick a replacement, Samuel saw David’s brothers first.  The first one he saw looked good to him and he imagined he’d be a great head of state.  This was based on what he saw.

God saw things differently:

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”   

1 Samuel 16:7^(NLT)

Every election is a spiritual referendum; there are great things at stake.  Not the least of these is whether you will listen to your head, heart or God’s revealed truth (His Word) as you enter the voting booth.

As followers of Jesus Christ none of us can afford to let “angry & ugly” carry even a part of our day.

For You Today

Fear in our hearts will sometimes yell so loudly we cannot hear anything God says; take some time to get away from the yelling, fear and commotion.  Let there be room for the still, small voice.

Chew on that out on the Rocky Road today…and have a great day!

---

[1] Title image:  By DonkeyHotey, via Wikimedia Commons

[2] Watch the interview here:  NT Wright on Gay Marriage

Getting Dressed - Part 5

[1]   

Friday, May 8, 2015

Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives.  Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives.  Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.  Colossians 3:16-18 (NLT)

This week we have thought about Paul’s list of those characteristics with which a well-dressed follower of Jesus Christ gets dressed every day – peace, thankfulness and gratitude, love – all part of a Christ-like character.

This morning we connect the dots of that string of character traits.

Paul said we should let the Word of Christ fill us.  The KJV says Christ’s word should dwell in us richly; the picture is that of setting up residence.  This means we should allow the Word of God free reign in addressing every aspect of the way we live our lives. 

Bible study is so important – the Bible is the Owner’s Manual of human existence. 

Having that Word “dwell richly” is to take it in, study, meditate on it and then put it into practice in our lives.  The Psalmist put it this way

Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  Psalm 119:11 (KJV)

Now, those are the foundational garments, love, peace, gratitude and wisdom.  Those are the transformational basic characteristics of the Christian life.  When you have those they will create the…

The Outer Garments

The outer garments of life are what others see and experience.  When the inner garments are love, peace, gratitude and wisdom they will make the outer garments particularly attractive.  What are they?

There is EMPATHY – so you can feel what your brother feels.

There is HARMONY – so you can strengthen your brother or sister, while she strengthens you.

There is MINISTRY so you can glorify God with all of your life.

This is the Christian version of “Dress for Success”.  Success in the world is measured by how you look; it is “the look” or styles that people see which really counts – look good at any cost!

The Lord measures success by what He sees on the inside…the inner garments of character

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7 (NLT)

For You Today

What does the Lord see when he looks at YOUR heart? 

Does he see compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, mercy?  Does he see all these foundational garments held together neatly by the character girdle of love? 

If so, you’ve chosen to lay aside the world’s rags and you’re ready for a robe!

---

[1] Title image:  By Paramount Pictures. Photographer not credited (ebay), via Wikimedia Commons