Is Anyone Paying Attention?

As a blogger and author, I have written tons of materials and put them "out there" for the world to see.

Sometimes I wonder…does anyone really read my stuff? Am I doing any good? Does anyone even notice me? Sometimes I feel like I'm shouting into a vast, dark space, and hearing nothing but the sound of my own voice. I fear that nobody is paying attention to me, and my words are being treated as…well…insignificant. If nobody is reading the stuff I've written, they aren't getting any benefit from what I've communicated.

I was praying about this yesterday, and the Lord graciously turned it into a life-lesson for me. He reminded me that He has written a Book for me to read, so I can better understand Him and all He wants for me. Am I paying attention to what He's written?

How are we doing in this area? Are we listening to God through reading His Word and following the leading of His Holy Spirit? Or are we essentially ignoring Him and going about our daily lives, completely unaffected by what He has communicated to us?

I suspect we can all do a little better in this area. Let's start today.

God's blessings to you,
Brian Whitaker
www.whitakerwritings.com

The "C" Word

In 2011 I traveled to South Sudan to work with some dear friends who are church leaders there. As part of our training sessions, we wanted to help the church leaders understand and fulfill their biblical roles as elders in their churches.

Along with one of my team members, I carefully went through the Bible passages about elders. We were assisted by one of the best translators. But after almost an hour of teaching, I realized that the men in the room were not really getting it. I saw blank stares and shuffling feet. Almost nobody was taking notes anymore.

I prayed, and the Lord helped me understand the problem. All morning we had been using the word "elder." The men in the room understood this to mean "tribal elder" (chief) or "village elder" (older man in the village that is considered wise because of his age). So the men in the room - none of which were tribal elders or village elders - didn't realize that these Bible passages applied to them!

Communication - the "C" word. I love it and I hate it. I am a communicator by vocation. Most of the time I communicate fairly well. But occasionally I manage to communicate something so poorly that I end up conveying the opposite of what I actually mean. Sometimes I write, then edit, then edit again - only to have someone else help me realize that my words have obscured the message instead of clarifying it.

In stark contrast, the Lord has communicated Himself clearly and faithfully to us in His Word - the Bible. Even more, He has given us - as believers in Christ - His Holy Spirit, who guides us in understanding His Word.

We read these words of Jesus in John 16:13: "When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…." God didn't just give us His Word and then leave us on our own to understand it. He gave us the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply what He wrote in His Word!

Thank you, Lord! You are an awesome Communicator!

2012 U.S. Election Results

This morning, as I pondered the results of yesterday's elections in the United States, I realized (again) a number of important truths for those who believe in Jesus Christ:

* God is in control. The LORD spoke these words, as recorded in Isaiah 46:9-11: "I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,'…I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass; I have purposed, and I will do it."

* We are called to pray for our national leaders. In the words of 1 Timothy 2:1-4, "First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." We should note that these words were written during the reign of an evil and oppressive world power.

* Our national leaders cannot be our spiritual leaders. After these words just quoted from 1 Timothy 2, we read words of instruction for spiritual leaders in 1 Timothy 3. Although God establishes government leaders (see Romans 13:1-7), their God-given task is different from the task given to church leaders. If you're looking for examples of morality and righteousness, and you long for good Bible teaching, look not to the government - look to the church. Yes, even the most God-honoring church leaders are imperfect, but they certainly seek to honor the Lord in all things, and to encourage others to do the same. Let your church leaders help you learn Bible truth and how it applies to daily living.

* While people seek a savior, we know THE Savior. Only Jesus is the true Savior. In Acts 4:12 we read these words about Jesus Christ: "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." People around the world are looking for hope. They long for peace and justice. Only Jesus can truly bring these things we need so desperately.

* Jesus has commissioned YOU AND ME to present Him to the world. That task is not given to government leaders, but to common people like you and me. We read these words in Acts 1:8: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

My fellow Christians, let's stand boldly and winsomely for Jesus Christ. Let's show the world that Jesus is the only true Source of hope and peace. In all we do, let's point men and women, children and youth, to the joy and freedom they can have through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Truth and Lies - Lance Armstrong and the Bible

With the Lance Armstrong debate raging in the headlines, I shake my head in amazement at the web of lies. Frankly, I don't know who's lying or who's telling the truth. Either way, there is a huge series of lies on one side or there other: either Lance has lied consistently for years, or others have bound themselves together in a conspiracy of deceit to discredit him. We may never know for certain which is the lie and which is the truth.

In the midst of this, I take comfort in the fact that God never lies. He always speaks the Truth. His Word is Truth. We read this in many places in the Bible, including these verses:

* "God is not a man, that he should lie" (Numbers 23:19).
* "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth" (John 17:17).
* "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

In this world that is filled with deceit (this Armstrong case is only one of countless examples), I rest in the fundamental Truths of God's Word.

Neil Armstrong and Faith in Jesus

Neil Armstrong died today at the age of 82. On earth, he will be remembered for many remarkable achievements, including walking on the moon.

Neil Armstrong was a great man in many ways. When my son did a project about him a couple of years ago, I was thrilled to review many of the details of Armstrong's life and career. He was not perfect, but he was a man we rightly look up to.

Still, when his earthly life ended, only one accomplishment really mattered at that very moment. During his 82 years on this earth, did he place his faith in Jesus Christ?

That matter alone affects every person's entrance (or non-entrance) into heaven. We are not saved by our accomplishments, no matter how wonderful they may be. We are not saved by our wealth or our fame. We are only saved through a relationship with Jesus Christ. We are only saved when we admit we are a sinner (Romans 3:23) and that our sin deserves death (Romans 6:23). We need to confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). We need to stop trying to earn God's favor and simply accept the free gift He has offered us (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Have you given your life to Jesus Christ? If not, would you do so now?

Pictures

I take tons of pictures. When I used film-based cameras, I took too many pictures; now that pictures are digital, I really overdo it.  

Pictures help tell a story of a particular point in time. When I look back at pictures from years ago, they help me recall significant events, funny moments, and cherished memories of loved ones. 

Here's the inherent challenge: a picture only records one moment in time, and by itself it cannot give us a complete perspective. A picture may be worth a thousand words, as the saying goes, but it still fails to convey anything to our senses of hearing or smell or taste or touch. A picture provides only a small glimpse of a brief moment in a person's life. 

Why have I brought up this topic? I have three interrelated thoughts about how this idea applies to our study of the Bible.

1) The words of the Bible give us many pictures of the character and nature of God. Each picture by itself is fully true, yet incomplete. We do our best to assemble the snapshots and understand how they all fit together, but our understanding is not as complete as we might really wish it to be. Still, each picture is a valuable revelation of His character. 

2) The words of the Bible give us many pictures of history. Still, there are huge gaps. Two thousand years of history are condensed into the chapters of Genesis. Large periods of time are summarized by only a few verses here and there in Scripture. Three years of Jesus' earthly ministry are conveyed all too briefly in the words of the gospels.

3) The words of the Bible give us many pictures of the future. Each picture helps us know valuable details, but they are merely snapshots. These pictures cannot begin to convey the glories of heaven, the horrors of hell, or the moment-by-moment details of the Great Tribulation. We study these pictures and we stand boldly on the things that the Bible clearly teaches, but we hold with a loose grip those things we fill in as we try to pull those pictures together.

As hard as it may be, we need to become content with not having every detail. God has told us so much, and we can study His revelation - the Bible - fervently so we can know its teachings well. We want to dwell on the things we know, and be content with the things we don't know or don't completely understand. 

One day when we are in the presence of God in heaven, we may learn more detail that will fill in some of the gaps in our understanding. For now, we rest in knowing that God is the sovereign Author of history and of the future. We live daily with gratitude for the many snapshots God has given us - snapshots of His holiness, His love, His grace, and His invitation to us to know Him more. And we fill in the gaps with our faith and trust in Him. 

Choices

I like to have lots of choices. I love places with big menus, or buffet meals, where I can take time choosing my favorite thing to eat. I enjoy carrying a wide variety of music or movies on my iPod, so I can indulge my momentary whim when I have some time to watch or listen to something.  


On the other side of the issue, I strongly dislike times when I have only one choice. I do not like to be told there is only one option in a given situation. In my heart, I tend to rebel against that option simply because it's the only one offered to me - while I secretly try to look for some other option I might take.


That's my nature. And I suspect it's really true of all of us as human beings. Don't you do it too? We have only one choice of weather at this moment - how often do you or I complain about it? How often do our kids complain about the dinner food made available to them? How often do we gripe when we are called into a "mandatory" meeting at work? How often do we complain about a decision that another person has made which now affects our own lives? How often do we bristle when we are told we MUST do this or that?


I wonder if this is why so many people have trouble with the biblical concept that Jesus is the only way to get to God. We read about Jesus's being the only way, like John 14:6 ("I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.") and Acts 4:12 ("And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."). Still we might secretly think, "Maybe there is another way. Surely God wouldn't be so exclusive as to give us only one choice."  


Dear reader, God made the world, and God has given us only one way to have a relationship with Him. The only choice we really have is to choose His way or not choose His way. We can bristle all we want; we can look for other options; we can rebel against such an exclusive arrangement. But this doesn't change the central fact: there is only one way provided for salvation. To be honest, it is an act of amazing grace that God would give any way of salvation at all, so I have personally chosen to embrace that offer. I choose to follow Jesus Christ.


What's your choice?

Are We Listening?

In 2 Chronicles 36 we read about the result of Israel's long-term, nation-wide disobedience to the Lord.  Verses 15-16 contain a summary statement:


"The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.  But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy."


At this point the nation was conquered and the survivors were taken into captivity in Babylon for 70 years.  


I shiver as I read this pronouncement, and I find myself asking, "How well do I listen to the LORD?"  Today we don't have prophets - we have God's Word, the Bible, a permanent written record of God's messages to His people.  Am I listening to Him through daily reading His Word and being sensitive to the leading of His Holy Spirit?  Am I paying attention to the wise counsel of God-honoring teachers and leaders?  Even more than listening - am I putting it into practice?


Or am I basically "mocking the messengers and scoffing at the prophets"?  *Shiver*


As for me and my house, we will listen to and follow God's Holy Word.  We will build our lives around what He has told us to do, obeying Him to the best of our ability, and asking for His forgiveness when we fail.  We will listen to those who faithfully teach His Word, and consider carefully the wise counsel of others who likewise seek to follow the Lord faithfully.


Will you do the same?

A Small Sacrifice

A friend of mine wrote an e-mail with a keen observation that the idea of sacrifice is largely unexplored - or at least, under-explored - in Christian teaching and writing.  He noted that in our lives, every time we choose one thing, it involves forgoing something else (e.g., one cannot spend the entire winter skiing and go to school at the same time).  He also noted that many personal issues begin with an unwillingness to sacrifice something.


I wrote a few thoughts in response to his e-mail, which I want to post here for others to consider:


You've got some good thoughts here.  I see your point that the idea of sacrifice is perhaps underemphasized, yet it is a clear component of true Christian faith (as well as a reality of life in general, as you have noted).


There are two potential reasons I can think of which might explain this underemphasis in Christian writing/teaching:


1) Christians already get a bad rap for talking about "dos" and "don'ts" and the list of "fun" things that are "prohibited" (I'm using the language of many people, not necessarily what I would personally say).  To combat this, Christians may tend to steer clear of the idea of sacrifice.


2) Most of the time when we speak of the gospel message, we're emphasizing what we GAIN in a relationship with Christ, rather than what we GIVE UP.  That's partly because that emphasis is more attractive - yes - but it's also because when we truly comprehend all that Christ gives, we begin to see that the things we give up along the way were never worth much to begin with.


This is consistent with Jesus' parables about the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great value, recorded in Matthew 13:44-46:


"The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up.  Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it."  


In both cases, the men didn't even think about the cost, because they knew they were getting the bargain of their lives, so to speak.  What they gained was infinitely greater than the cost, even though it cost them everything they had.


Yes, there is a cost.  Yes, the cost is high.  Yes, there is sacrifice, as you've noted.  But - WOW! - the gain is so much better.  I'm not just talking about a future in heaven - that is great, but not the entire package deal.  I'm talking about daily joy and peace that nothing in this world can offer.  I'm talking about the vast treasure of getting to know the God of the universe, and to be able to talk to Him, and to have relationship with Him.  I'm talking about the awesomeness of His Holy Spirit at work within me each and every day.  These joys far outweigh any temporary pleasures the world may offer but which I've sacrificed to follow Christ.


And this goes back to your original observation.  Now that I have been a follower of Jesus for many years, I don't really think at all about what I have "sacrificed" or "given up."  I spend my thought time learning more about the Lord and about all He has for me.  So if you ask me about my relationship with Christ, I may not even remember to talk about the concept of sacrifice, because I have I have found the Treasure, or the Pearl, and that's what my mind is focused on, and what I want to tell others about.


Dear reader, what about you?  Have you realized that a relationship with Jesus Christ is worth far more than anything you might "sacrifice" to obtain it?  Yes, a relationship with Jesus will totally change many aspects of your life, but it's worth more than anything else in this world!

It Turns Out Okay in the End

My three-year-old daughter was explaining a movie she wanted to watch (again).  There are definite themes of good and evil and a very clear "bad guy" in it.  "It's a little scary," she admitted, then I finished her thought, "But you don't have to be scared because you know it turns out okay in the end."


As she began watching the video, I thought about the times I get a little scared about how things are going in this world in general or in my life in particular.  However, the Bible assures me that it turns out okay in the end.  I don't know all the details about the future, but I know enough to know that Jesus is coming back, sin will be conquered, and because I have given my life to Jesus, I have a glorious future in heaven with Him.  


Things may get a little scary from time to time, but I know it turns out okay - actually, more than okay - in the end!

Free Speech

Today we witnessed a historic ruling by the Supreme Court.  It has a very negative side, and a very positive side.  


The Court ruled 8-1 that the Westboro Baptist Church is able to say hateful things, put hateful words on signs, and set up demonstrations wherever they want.  These actions, the court said, are within their protected rights under our Constitution.


Let me be clear here: I utterly despise what this Westboro group is doing.  They should not be using the name "Baptist" or "Church," for by their actions they show that they have no idea about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They live by hatred, and they say and do things that are--frankly--abominable.  


But, as we learned today, they have the right to do this, and nobody can stop them.


While this is bad news--I really wish they'd stop their horrible campaigns--there is a very good side to this Court ruling.  Please allow me to explain.


For the last fifteen years or more, our society has moved in a direction that has worried me as a pastor and as a believer in Jesus Christ.  Our country has drifted toward a viewpoint that it is "wrong" or "intolerant" to tell anyone they're wrong, or that their choices are wrong (or sinful).  Segments of our workforce mandate "sensitivity training" so their employees learn not to say anything that might offend a coworker or client.  


Frankly, this trend has scared me, as I have envisioned a day when pastors might be pulled out of their pulpits--or even imprisoned--for declaring, loving and biblically, the truths of God.  I imagined a time when maybe even the Bible would be banned in this country as "hateful," because it clearly enunciates right and wrong behaviors.


With today's definitive Supreme Court ruling, the pendulum has now swung the other way.  We can boldly--though not offensively!--proclaim truth with the same clarity that God's Word declares truth.


While I cringe over the fact that one group of hateful people has been exonerated, and I deeply wish Westboro would cease all of their awful picketing activities, I find that I rest under the same freedoms they enjoy.  For these freedoms, I am grateful.