Potential Energy

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.”
– I Corinthians 15:10

Have you ever noticed how some words become popular that heretofore were relatively unknown? I’m not talking about words that take center stage because they have been recently invented like download or gigabyte in order to explain a new phenomenon of industry. I’m talking about words that have long been waiting in the wings for their debut. Words like paradigm or segue. Though starting to fade a bit because of overuse, they seemed to have just popped up overnight like dandelions in the front yard. Where have they been all these years; and on an even more curious note, what caused them to go from introverts to extroverts?

Well I’m not sure. However, I think there may be a lesson here. Potential energy is a term used by scientists to define possibilities of energy and power within some object that has yet to be released. Okay, enough science. Here’s my point. We all discover this latent potential in our relationships, passion for living, and emotions. Many a young man discovers one day that the girl he has been walking to class just two months earlier and had no attraction for is now someone he wishes to date. We all of a sudden take a liking to a sport that up until now has seemed boring. A painting in a store that we frequent begins to grow on us and we inquire about the price. We develop a friendship with someone that seemed almost repugnant to us in prior days. What is happening in all these situations? I think there is latent potential in talent, emotions, and relationships. They can be triggered by circumstances, maturity, or a longing to find more in life than we thought possible. Paul found that grace was the potential that allowed him to be used greatly of the Lord.

Remember that Jesus grew in wisdom and favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). How much more so for us? Look around and take inventory of your life. Is there latent potential ready to be released in ministry, service, prayer, love, sports, or Bible study? As for our two words that appeared for a while, I think segue is making a paradigm shift and paradigm has found a perfect segue out. At least that’s the way I see things.

Fishing Where They Always Bite

“Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.” – Proverbs 27:2

I love to fish. Mixed with my love for fishing is my dislike of boredom. You know, casting out time after time and not even getting one bite. For fishing to be exciting there has to be the genuine expectation that soon you will feel that all too familiar tug on the line which is usually followed by a scream of, “I got one.” Fishing requires a fair amount of preparation. You need to assemble all the gear, bring the bait and tackle, and find a good spot. There is another kind of fishing that requires little skill and not much preparation. We call it “fishing for compliments.” The bait comes in different forms. You can steer a conversation in a direction that you know will lead to praise. Hinting is another form of bait, where you toss out a few statements that are sure to elicit positive feedback where you come out smelling like a rose. There is always the feeling-sorry-for-myself approach, where we make sure everyone knows how poorly we feel we executed our duties or performed our talents, knowing full well we were great; and now that the bait is dangling, the “Oh no, you were great” is soon to follow.

However we cast the line, fishing for compliments is very self-seeking and is a sign of insecurity. Proverbs 27:2 says, “Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth.” Fishing for complements fulfills this proverb by providing another’s lips with your own self-initiated praise. It is like flattering yourself. We may not like to admit it but most of us have our tackle box ready just in case we find a good spot, which happens to be anywhere people are. That’s the way I see things.

Are You Offended Or Just Hurt?

“Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them.”
– Psalm 119:165

From time to time I make reference from the pulpit that 30 years ago I gave up my right to being offended. People often give me one of those quizzical looks as if to say, “You mean that you have such a strong spiritual constitution that you can’t be hurt by people?” No, that’s not what I mean. An example may serve me well at this point. You’re driving down the road minding your own business when an errant golf ball goes through your windshield sending glass everywhere including a heavy piece that lacerates your arm. Question: Are you hurt? Yes. You feel the physical pain of the imbedded glass. Are you offended? Well, that’s a very different question. You could analyze the situation and say the guy who hit the ball needs to go get some lessons, or you could say I’m suing the management for putting the course so close to the road. I’m also going after the golfer for all he’s worth. You are now suffering from two problems. You are hurt and offended, which leads to bitterness and anger, which leads to more problems. You can’t do anything about the hurt, but you can do something about being offended.

This certainly carries over into the emotional realm. People hurt me as I go through life. I can’t help that. The hurt may be so great that I cry or become sad. I now have a choice regarding the offense. I can become bitter and take up an offense against the one who wounded me, or I can attribute it to flawed character knowing full well I do the same to others. I always ask myself if I believe the wounding party tried to hurt me. Ninety-nine percent of the time people don’t go out of their way to offend. But suppose they did try to hurt me? Then I see them clothed in the same humanity I’m clothed in. I may also ask myself if I’m overly sensitive? No matter what the answer I am left with no choice but to forgive and release this to the Lord. It’s much easier to forgive and leave behind the offense when we see ourselves as offensive. And let’s face it, all of us are offensive to some degree.

I hope this is clear, and I hope you can apply this to your life. You will get hurt, and there is no escape, but being offended is your choice. “Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them” (Psalm 119:165). That’s the way I see things.

Did Methuselah Have A Midlife Crisis?

“Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” – Psalm 39:5


Genesis tells us that Methuselah lived to be 969 years old. That’s old. As I have come to the realization that there is more sand at the bottom of my hourglass than at the top, I marvel that this patriarch was a mere child at the age of 60. I know I think about things that most people would consider frivolous, but I must tell you that this man fascinates me. Let your mind wander for a few minutes as I take you into my world of thinking. After 20 years of marriage you may say to your wife, "Honey, where have the years gone?" Whereas Methuselah on his 300th anniversary may have said to his wife Molly (probably not her real name), “Where have the centuries gone? Why it seems like just yesterday that our son Lamech (his real name) was 200." Does all this seem absurd to you? It doesn’t to me. All things being equal he probably lost his baby teeth at 65, which is when the rest of us start thinking about dentures. No doubt he had his aches and pains like the rest of us, only on a more protracted scale. Perhaps a touch of stiffness or a little arthritis began to set in around 600. These incidentals, however, are not what really intrigue me. The big question that I have for Methuselah is – did he have a midlife crisis? At 500 did he start to panic and realize he only had another four to five hundred years left? Did he go out and buy a red chariot? Did he change his hairstyle?

Hold on to these thoughts as we take a look at another extreme. There are microscopic organisms that only live a few hours. Suppose the life expectancy of humans was only a few hours. If you were born at 9:00 a.m., you would be middle age by lunch. For one of your friends, born at 11:00 a.m., to tell you they’re going shopping but will be back by dinner would convey to you that they care more about stuff than they do about attending your memorial service, which should be right around 5:00 p.m.

Well I don’t know what Molly, microbes, or Methuselah thought about time, but I do know what God thinks; and He tells us they all had the same length of life. Their lives were but a vapor. When James made that statement he did not have an asterisk by Methusaleh. The term vapor includes all of humanity. Our lives are also described in Scripture as a moment, a handbreadth or like grass that grows up in a day and withers at the end.

Regarding the midlife crisis, this should never be in the vocabulary of the believer because he has eternal life and there is no midpoint in eternity. So rejoice in that you live forever, which is just as long as Methuselah, and that’s why I call these articles, THE WAY I SEE THINGS.

The Blind Eye Of Hypocrisy

“Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.” – Matthew 23:28

Hypocrisy has been around as long as man has occupied this planet. We all have this monster to contend with to some degree. Every once in a while this evil surfaces to excessive proportions that the hypocrite can’t begin to see his blatant hypocrisy, nor can those who are sympathetic to his cause. “Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:32). I think the greatest example of this was manifest during 60 Minutes. The subject at hand was movie piracy. This is where people get their hands on a DVD before the movie hits the theaters. They are downloaded and sent out over the Internet, costing the movie industry millions. The guest on the show was the president of one of the major motion picture companies. He was irate over what he called out and out stealing. This was theft and no different than robbing a bank as far as he was concerned.

The interviewer, and I’m sure much of the listening audience, didn’t pick up on the hypocrisy. I literally wanted to climb through the set and ask this man a few questions of my own. I would like to have asked him if he believed in morality? He could have answered yes, but then he would have hung himself because what his industry is producing is anything but moral. He might on the other hand sensed where my question was trying to lead him, and thus he could have answered that morality is relative. To which I would have asked him if stealing falls into the category of relative morality. Since this discussion never took place, it is easy for me to answer questions for him, and I come out looking like the intellectual giant. But do we really need to talk to him? He plainly stated before millions of viewers that he disliked the theft that was siphoning off his profits. Which means, at that moment on national television, he openly admitted to the American public that he believes in at least 1/10 of the ten commandments – Thou shalt not steal.

Does his industry steal? Is there a promotion of lying and cheating in movies? Does he make money off robbing our youth of their virtue? If push comes to shove, he would say there is no proof movies cause young people to engage in premarital sex. The truth is that he and all of his industry know it does, but to admit such would be the death knell of the industry. When Hollywood picks your pocket, truth is relative. When you pick theirs, truth is absolute. Don’t expect too many in the entertainment industry to see this because hypocrisy is blinding. Truth and morality are relative when you’re the thief and absolute when you’re the victim. The depravity of man will fill his pockets with gold while denying the truth of “thou shalt not steal” and claim it as an ally when revenues are down, and that’s the way I see things.

The Three Storms Of Scripture

“But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.” - Jonah 1:4

We read in Scripture of many natural disasters such as famines, earthquakes, floods, and storms. To the best of my knowledge there are three major storms in the Bible each used by God for distinctly different purposes. If we take a brief survey of each, I think we will find that God will show us why they exist and what purpose God has for each.

The first storm we encounter of major import is the one found in Jonah. Jonah was a reluctant prophet who ran from God but found that God could not be ditched. The Lord brought up a mighty tempest in order to discipline a wayward child and bring him back to the right way.

The second storm is found in Mark 4 where our Lord tells His disciples to get in the boat and go over to the other side. When the storm whips up, the disciples become afraid and begin to doubt. However, since Jesus told them they were going to the other side, what else could have happened but safe arrival to the other shore? This storm was not one of discipline because, unlike Jonah, they initially obey. This was a storm of trial which the Lord needed to expose weakness in character. He exposed a lack of faith. He wanted to bring them back to the truth.

Storm number three is found in Acts 27 where Paul is on his way to Rome to stand trial. A huge storm brews up and the 276 men on board are frightened. An angel appears to Paul assuring him that all will arrive safely and there will be no loss of life. So what is the purpose behind this storm? Paul was obedient and certainly didn’t lack faith. This was a storm to expose strength of a believer before unbelievers. This type of storm brings life.

Storm number one shows Jonah the way, storm two shows the disciples the truth, while storm three shows unbelievers the life. Since Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, we should expect the storms of life to reveal Him in the process. That’s the way I see things.

The Trojan Horse Is Alive And Well

“The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” – Psalm 14:1a

The evolution/creation debate will always be with us. These are two very different worldviews that cannot be blended into some happy compromise. The new flavor of the month is intelligent design or better known as id. The issue at hand is whether or not it should be taught in schools. Those who oppose the idea that the universe is a complex entity requiring a designer, claim to argue from the platform of science. It goes something like this. Evolution is based on scientific research, while creation is based on faith in the Bible. One is scientific and the other religious.

They further argue that the teaching of id in science class is simply a Trojan horse used by creationists to smuggle religion into the schools. At first blush these arguments seem valid, but closer examination reveals that the evolutionist is using the same methods they accuse the creationist of, but have cleverly disguised it so that it is almost unrecognizable. Here is what I mean.

There was a time when creation was taught in the public schools. The text used in public and private school was The New England Primer. This is the very textbook that the writers of the constitution used. What happened? Under the guise of science, the religion of evolution was hiding in the Trojan horse. Once inside the gates out come the lab coats, microscopes, and test tubes designed to cloak this religion in scientific garb, thus leaving the public to believe this is science. Wait just a microsecond. Just because tools of science are used to study a theory of how we arrived on planet earth does not make the theory scientific, anymore than using a telescope to find God makes religion scientific. This is a very clever smokescreen. Another concern from the scientific community is that science class will now turn into a class on theology. Strange how that never happened during Newton’s day or Kepler’s or Pasteur’s. These were men of great faith. Their faith drove them to find out the complexity of God’s design. Science is the tool that unlocks the greatness of God’s design. If Newton didn’t fear, why do we? That’s the way I see things.

The Law of Defilement

“A brother offended [is harder to be won] than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.” - Proverbs 18:19a

While teaching through the Old Testament, I stubbed my toe on a passage lost in the ancient writings of Haggai. In the second chapter of this two-chapter book is a life changing truth that I call, The Law of Defilement. A simple question is put before the priests regarding defilement. It goes like this: If consecrated (holy) food touches food that has not been consecrated will it make the non-consecrated food or drink holy? Answer: No. If an individual who has touched a dead body then touches food or drink, will that food or drink become defiled? Answer: Yes!

We see this law of defilement in every area of life. You would never take spoiled food and touch it to fresh food in hopes that the fresh food will make that which is spoiled fresh. The reverse, however, is true. Why is that? Don’t you wish it worked the other way? I’m afraid it goes way beyond food. It spills over into relationships. Build into a person’s life for 20 years and on a bad day speak harshly (defile) and all the good that you have done is now spoiled. The Scripture says, “A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city” (Proverbs 18:19a). Will it work in reverse? You have been an offense for 20 years to your spouse and then one day you speak kind, encouraging words. Will those consecrated words make all the past offenses consecrated? Will the good turn the bad into good? “Bad company corrupts good morals” (I Corinthians 15:33, NASB). So why don’t good morals consecrate (make holy) bad company?

This is the law of defilement; and if it is not reversed, it can make life seem quite bleak. Asking forgiveness can certainly reverse things, but what if you’re the one who has been defiled and the defiler never asks forgiveness? This law only works where there is sinful defilement. If a baseball player hits five homeruns in a row and then strikes out, the team does not feel defiled. You average how many times he gets a hit. The average is what counts. However, if a friend tells you the truth 999 times in a row and lies on the 1000th time, you don’t commend him on his average of telling the truth. You lose confidence in him totally! Can I ever trust them again is the big question in your mind even though you know you have lied. “…let God be true, but every man a liar” (Romans 3:4a).

The law of defilement went into effect the day Adam and Eve fell. This law has run roughshod over all creation and all humanity. Just take a moment and consider the number of potential ways we taint the lives of others and how they do equal damage to us. You may also want to consider that our very biased nature plays down what we have done to others and exaggerates the hurt inflicted upon us.

Here is just a short list to consider. You offend others if you are habitually late, but you see it as no big deal. Sarcasm takes a bite out of close friends, but they never tell you. Procrastination hurts a business partner and delays progress. A raised voice damages your spouse or children. Making fun of someone is more hurtful than you might expect. Borrowing tools from your neighbor that are eventually returned upon his request builds friction. Quick decision makers intimidate those who are slower, and those who are slower frustrate those who are quick. People who see life as black and white are upset by those who live in the gray.

The list could be multiplied a thousand fold. Is it any wonder that God tells us “love covers a multitude of sins,” (I Peter 4:8 NASB) and it is wise to overlook an offense? Are we to just accept this as part of life and live with contamination?

As a pastor I have received my fair share of defiling letters, emails, and verbal assaults; some deserved, some not. If I give way to the law of defilement, then all I have to look forward to is a life that is slowly spoiling.

There is, however, another law, which is called, The Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:2). This law supercedes the law of defilement just as the strength of my arm can overcome the law of gravity by catching a falling object before it hits the ground and breaks. The context of Romans 8 is dealing with Christ’s sacrificial death that now overcomes the law of sin and death. He took our place. This law extends into my life. “When he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously” (I Peter 2:23). Paul said he rejoiced and took pleasure in insults (II Corinthians 12:10). How could this be? The grace of God flowed out of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.

We are called to appropriate the higher law or life will be most difficult. We will live with bitterness, anger, and hatred toward those who have defiled us, and this will only hasten our own demise.

This is no way to live. We must view people as fallen, flawed, and capable of defiling. The middle verse of the Bible says, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (Psalm 118:8). Why? Because people are defiled by nature and thus will defile those with whom they come in contact. Every spouse defiles his or her mate. Every parent defiles his children. Friends defile each other without even knowing it. So where do I go to wash and get clean? You bathe in the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. You forgive without waiting for the offender to ask for it.

You can now see believers as forgiven defilers, clothed in the righteousness of Christ. You will see unbelievers who defile you as your mission field with a compassion to see them freed from the law of sin and death. Forever keep this truth in mind: there is only one place where this law is reversed. When that which is unclean (us) touches the Holy One, Christ, who cannot be defiled, His holiness washes away our soiled, sinful, defiled ways and makes them clean. That’s not just the way I see things, it’s what Scripture teaches.

Dogmatism Gone To The Dogs

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” – Titus 3:9

Having been a believer for quite some time now and having studied the writings of many contemporary writers and those of bygone years, I see a pattern of curious statements that are made with such dogmatism that I have to pause and digest the logic of it all. How often have you heard or read something like this, “Anyone who fails to make prayer their #1 priority will never live a victorious life,” or “The key to victory is meditation.” You can insert kindness, Bible study, missions, love, and a myriad of other virtues or disciplines and attach the phrase “will never live a successful life.” What I find humorous is this. There is not room for more than one #1 priority. I also can’t help but smile when I think of many victorious Christians who have a different #1 priority. What is even more delightful is when I hear that the author or speaker says he is the first to find this new priority. So how did anyone live in victory up until now?

I don’t wish to make light of any discipline or virtue nor do I want to imply that we are free spirits and can put anything we want in the top slot. God is not a list maker of priorities but calls for sensitivity to His leading in your life.

Try meditating day and night (Psalm 1:2) while at the same time praying without ceasing (II Thessalonians 5:17). You may want to add to this feeding the poor (James 1:27), love your enemy (Matthew 5:44), and always abound in the work of the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58). Such demands could make us very weary. So rest in the Lord, and He will prioritize what He wants from you. Christ did. At least that’s the way I see things.

The Last Chapter And Money

“But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.” – I Timothy 6:9

We have all heard the statement that money can’t buy happiness. No one really believes this as testified by a society that scratches and claws its way to get as much green as it can. We try to convince ourselves and those around us that riches will never lay claim to our souls. I used to say that money can’t buy happiness, but it can certainly keep you from being sad. Here again I’m not so sure, as I have seen many sad people whose bank accounts would suggest the opposite to be true. Time and experience start to instruct us along the way demanding that we pay close attention to these experienced teachers.

Try to convince any youth that the goal in life is not to make money but to make much of God, as John Piper would say. But such appeals usually fall on deaf ears. I have talked to many young people who say we are kidding ourselves when we say that money can’t buy happiness. They look at a life spent in poverty and one spent in wealth and conclude there is no contest. I understand their reasoning but only from the reference point of youth. Inner turmoil is often camouflaged in jewels, yachts, and cocktail parties. Those who believe the almighty dollar will rescue them from pain have only to wait for time and experience to write the final chapter. Once life is spent, their view of happiness will take a different twist. Age has a way of putting the finishing touches on wisdom. At least that’s the way I see things.

The Ultimate Apologetic

“O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called.” - I Timothy 6:20

If the basis for truth in science is anchored in that which is “observable and repeatable,” then the Scriptures should be the most scientific of all writings. No telescope, microscope, or laser beam will be necessary to prove my point. Just the simple experience of day-to-day living will be more than satisfactory.

1. “The eyes of man are never satisfied” (Proverbs 27:20).
Is this an observable and repeatable experience in life? Wall Street and Madison Avenue keep this proverb afloat with a continual fixation on having more, yet the advertising world continues to use the word satisfaction in its commercials. If we were satisfied, there would be no need for the new and improved model. The truth as expressed in God’s Word is that man never will be satisfied. His heart has an insatiable appetite for more.

2. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
How could God make such a statement in light of human progress, increased scientific discovery, mind-boggling technology, and higher education? God made such a declaration because He knows the human heart cannot be fixed. This declaration runs from Genesis to Revelation and is observable and repeatable on a daily basis. Logic, however, says this should not be true. As man increases in knowledge, and knowledge is designed to solve problems, then we of all people should be better off than those who came before us. But life tells a different story. Jealousy, envy, anger, greed, lust, conflict, broken relationships, power struggles, divorce, crime and a host of other human maladies prevail and always will.

3. “…suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18 NASV).
The context of this verse deals with human pride and an unwillingness to surrender the human will to the authority of God. It basically asserts that the truth of God’s existence and His power are all about us, but the human heart refuses to acknowledge Him and His glory. Just to show how deceitful the human heart is the following observable and repeatable illustration is hard to deny. Our society spends billions trying to curb pollution because medical evidence tells us that a myriad of health problems are directly related to the air we breathe and the water we drink. You would be considered a lunatic if you denied this. We are obsessed with our physical wellbeing. However, when even more substantial evidence is presented regarding the dangers of pornography, we hear the cry, “I have my rights,” or “What right does the government have to tell me what I can see or not see?” The strange twist in all this is that the time between cause (pollution) and effect (cancer) regarding health hazards is years, while the time between cause (pornography) and effect (rape, child abuse, divorce) regarding mental pollution may only be hours. It is observable and repeatable that logic used in the physical arena is suppressed when applied to morality. That’s the way I see things.

Things May Appear To Be Other Than They Really Are

“He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.” – Proverbs 18:13

The subject of being judgmental will always be a topic of discussion in the Christian universe. We have a natural bent toward seeing people with a critical eye. The truth is, we rarely have the facts, which is why the Scriptures tell us to not judge anything before its time. Many things may distort what we perceive to be the truth. “And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli marked her mouth. Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee” (I Samuel 1:12-14). Eli was a priest who confused devotion with drunkenness. This was no small misread.

About a year ago I got a real taste of this truth stuffed down my throat. I was trying to cross the street, but the man in front of me was taking his own sweet time with little regard for those behind him. If we didn’t cross swiftly then we would miss the light and have to wait for the next signal. My mind raced as I thought of many other situations where people just don’t seem to care for those around them, such as never having the right change at the tollbooth and then asking if they take credit cards. If that isn’t enough, they then want directions to Timbuktu, while the line backs up for three miles. We see it everywhere.

I just love the lines at the supermarket where the shopper has a nice chitchat with the cashier. By the time they finish their dialogue, I have missed dinner, the World Series, and seeing my children grow up, all because of the inconsiderate person in front of me.

Since the guy crossing the street didn’t care if he made me late, I decided that I would just dart in front of him making my point without saying a word. As I passed him, I noticed that he was walking a dog or was the dog walking him? Yes, he was blind, but not as blind as I was with my judgmental spirit. And as for the guy asking for directions at the tollbooth or the person dialoguing with the cashier, who knows, maybe they were sharing their faith.

Let’s cut each other some slack and enjoy life. Sorry, but that’s the way I see things.

Spirituality Versus Personality

“But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” - I Corinthians 2:14

Have you ever wondered why some people who are not believers display the fruits of the Spirit in a greater and more consistent way than you do? Yet we know that such fruit can only be the product of a true believer. Makes you kind of wonder, doesn’t it? I like to refer to this enigma as spirituality versus personality. The fruits of the spirit are found in Galatians 5 and are listed as follows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Does it not gall you to lose your temper with your children when the couple next door who have never once entertained a spiritual thought remain calm in the midst of spilled milk and sibling rivalry? What are we to make of this?

We must keep several things in mind. The unbeliever is perfectly capable of doing good things and behaving in a kind way. Also keep in mind that the believer is quite capable of displaying sinful behavior. In other words the flesh of the unsaved can perform good works, while the flesh of the believer can do what is wrong but the source is still from the flesh. For the unbeliever that just may be his temperament or personality.

The real key to understanding this seeming contradiction has to do with at least two things. The first is to examine the source of our behavior. I used to have a very volatile personality which usually was on display during athletic contests. I have broken golf clubs, pool cues, ping pong paddles, tennis rackets, and have even been known to throw fishing rods into the water if the fish weren’t biting. When I became a believer such behavior seemed to have evaporated. I have other issues that have not been uprooted as easily. One thing I know is that the change was not personality but the work of the Spirit in my life.

The second issue is motive. Why does the couple next door never raise their voice at their children? Is it motivated by a love for Christ? Is it a desire to be a good testimony or witness? The real motive might be that they want children who will turn out well and not embarrass them. They may want children who will learn self control and thus do well in school or athletics resulting in scholarships that will save the parents lots of money. We may never know the motive, but we do know that it is not empowered by the Spirit of God.

We see this in Christians who we know do not take their faith seriously yet seem to manifest the fruits of the Spirit. They may even look at you wondering why you can’t act more like them. You may wonder the same thing. Remember it may not be spirituality but personality. At least that’s the way I see things.

Camping With David & Paul

“But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.”
- John 4:23

Could there be two people any more different than Paul and David? I love to study the lives of people in Scripture, and I love to study the spiritual nature of those alive today who comprise what we call the body of Christ. God has made us unique by employing His creative powers. Our personalities are as distinct as our fingerprints. David was a lover of God. He was the supreme worshiper who danced before the Lord and loved the sound of music. He turned the heavens into a mural painted across the sky, “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).

Paul was a passionate evangelist who had little time for romantic notions of life and nature. He used nature as an apologetic to prove the existence of God “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20). Paul appeales more to the intellect while David touches our emotions. Paul gave evidence for God’s existence while David gave reasons to worship. Paul gave us polemic (argument) while David gave us poetry.

Paul built arguments and forced man to see his condition before a holy God. David weaved poetry and appealed to the emotions perhaps more than he did the intellect. Certainly there were overlapping truths that both shared. David said, “The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God.” (Psalm 14:1a).

However their basic natures would have clashed had they been forced to work together. I can just see Paul and David after a hard day of church planting, laying down under the stars only to have David poetically describe the moon and the mighty hosts of heaven. Paul may have responded with, “Will you be quiet, I’m trying to sleep, and we have a big day ahead of us.”

Don’t you see yourself in these characters? We often have conflict in life over the very beauty of our differences. What should be used to supplement what we lack is often seen as a frustration or threat. Maybe we need to go camping with someone who looks at life differently than we do. At least that’s the way I see things.

Welcome to TWIST

Welcome to TWIST. Most pastors struggle with saying all they want to say in a weekend service. I am no different. Many thoughts flood my mind in the course of a week that are not related to the present preaching series. TWIST allows me to share more of what I think on a wide range of subjects. Some of what I will write about will be things you have thought of and some will be new. In either case I want an avenue to challenge and encourage you to think more deeply about the Christian life. We live in a sound byte world, while the video, movies, and media do our thinking for us. I hope TWIST will engage you at a deeper level and my prayer is that you will be blessed in the process.