truth – Page 12

Holey Socks

holey_socks

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God. ¹⁹As the Scriptures say, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and discard the intelligence of the intelligent.”

So where does this leave the philosophers, the scholars, and the world’s brilliant debaters? God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish. ²¹Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. — 1 Corinthians 1:18-21, NLT

My mother once relayed a story to me of when she was a little girl and her mother found her with a pair of scissors, cutting up her socks. When asked what she was doing, my mother replied, “I’m cutting the holes out of my socks.”

As adults, we laugh at the silly logic of children. We have lived longer, experienced more, gathered more knowledge, and gained more understanding of life’s inner workings. Thus, we easily see the folly in a child’s thinking, and realize that repair won’t ever come from a pair of scissors.

Yet how does our wisdom compare to the Almighty’s? How might our cumulative scholarship stack-up to the originator of all that exists (Gen 1:1), the one who knows no teacher (Isa 40:13-14), who has named every celestial body in His colossal cosmos (Psa 147:4), and numbered the hair follicles on every head (Mat 10:30)? How might our “brilliant” brains compare to the Creator’s whose knowledge is beyond our comprehension (Psa 139:6), whose limitless ways (Psa 147:5) are beyond our understanding (Job 37:5), whose years beyond our measurements (Job 36:26)? How might our “clever” strategies crafted in the deceitful (Jer 17:9) dark (Pro 27:1; Jam 4:14) match up against the mastermind (Isa 55:8-9) of both peace and calamity (Isa 45:7), who knows and determines tomorrow (Isa 46:10), and sees all things (Heb 4:13) as the originator of light (Gen 1:3; 2Co 4:6), even into the deep recesses of human hearts (1Sa 16:7; Psa 139:1-4)?

[Reread that paragraph a few times. Spend some time contemplating the greatness of God.]

How foolish of us to think that our self-righteous good deeds could excuse our bad ones. Does a little community service pardon one of murder (Mat 5:22; 1Jo 3:15)? Yet we extend kindness to the kind, thinking we are doing God a favor (Luk 6:32-34). Our good deeds are nothing more than taking a pair of shears to filthy rags (Isa 64:6)—a belittlement of our crimes against God (Jam 2:10-11; Psa 51:4), and a contemptuous trampling upon the blood of His Son (Heb 10:29). How foolish to think we could earn enough favor to excuse our crimes by treating the sacrifice of Christ—The Way God has made for us back to Him (Rom 5:8; Act 16:30-31)—as unworthy of our attention (Act 13:46). We are simply cutting holes out of socks.

It is time for us to rightly assess the tattered remains of our life, to abandon our destructive attempts at its repair, and recognize our old life is nothing more than kindling (Mat 3:10; 1Co 3:12-15). Only then will we see the One hope we have—to cry out to the God who gives life (Deu 32:39) and is life (Joh 11:25; 14:6), and surrender to Him the things that were never ours to begin with (Isa 43:7)—our old, ragged life (Rom 6:6). Then, we can accept what we truly need—a new one (2Co 5:17; Rom 6:4; Eze 36:26).

A New Sock, A New Life
I came to my mother with a quivering lip,
The sock was done.
“I have no sock to wear, dear mother?
I’ve ruined this one.”
She took the sock, shredded and soiled
And gave me a new one, clean and unspoiled
And into my sad eyes she smiled,
“Cheer up, my child.”

I came to the throne with a trembling heart,
my life undone.
“Have you a new life for me, dear Master?
I’ve ruined this one.”
He took my life, all shredded and soiled
And gave me a new one, holy and unspoiled
And into my sad heart He smiled,
“Rejoice now, my child.”

(A rewrite of the poem “A New Leaf, A New Day” by Kathleen Wheeler)

Billy Neal

Watching Father Work

watchingdad

Sunday afternoon after lunch, my oldest son Elijah emerged from the house with his basketball, still in his church attire—a blue polo shirt and khaki shorts.

Standing by my Toyota Camry with my hands crossed, the car jacked up, two tires off, and the problem of a seized rear brake drum before me, I looked up and called out, “Hey buddy, Go back in and put some grubby clothes on. Why don’t you come and help me.” After all, I was soon in need of a foot to depress a brake pedal when I would be draining the brake fluid.

He returned to the house, emerging a few minutes later garbed in his usual athletic gear. He stood nearby, but quickly lost interest after a few minutes. He spotted his bright green soccer ball that he had kicked up in a tree a week prior. So he left me and turned to a more entertaining task.

Truth be known, if he hadn’t been grounded, he would have already found himself over a friend’s house.

A few minutes later, my daughter Aubrey exited the house, hopped on her bike, and asked permission to go to a neighbor’s house to play. I granted her wish, but she returned a few minutes later, visibly downcast.

“Why are you back so soon,” I asked.

“They don’t want me,” she said, relaying the upsetting details of the rejection she faced. Apparently the brother of the sibling pair she went to visit opened the door only to question her about Elijah’s whereabouts. When discovering he wasn’t coming, he told her to go “play at home.”

“Well,” I responded, “I want you.”

Unfazed at my answer, she parked her bike in the driveway and dismounted. “They won’t accept me without Elijah,” she pouted.

“I accept you. Come sit with me while I work,” I called out as she marched through the garage and into the house.

A few minutes later I walked up to the garage to get another tool. My youngest Joshua was coming out of the house, still in his pajamas. He had stayed home from church with his mother after he had run a slight fever the night before. We had come home from church to find him sitting in his tiny recliner, drawing. But by this point, he seemed to have returned to normal.

“Can I help you, Daddy?” He asked in his sweet, six-year-old voice.

I smiled, “You sure can. Just go in and change your clothes and put on a jacket.” He ran back inside. I got my tool from the workbench and returned to work.

A few minutes later, Aubrey came back outside and hopped on her bike to try again, hoping this time the older sister would be the one to answer the door and let her in to play.

“I’m ready, Daddy,” Little J said as he stood by my side, now in a more weather appropriate ensemble. He was prepared and content for whatever simple task I had for him (like pressing a brake pedal or hand tightening lug nuts), or to just crouch down and watch, a stuffed sloth under each arm, while his father labored at the repair.

And it was in that moment that the Lord spoke to me: Sometimes all the Father wants is to have His children by His side as He works.

Tears began to fill my eyes as I contemplated the thought.

How it must break God’s heart to have His children so caught up in the fickle approval of others when the Father’s waiting with open arms of unconditional love and acceptance. And how sad that we are so easily distracted away from His side by colorful distractions and silly challenges that the world offers us. But what joy it must bring our Heavenly Father when his children leave the comforts of this world (like comfy pajamas and a warm recliner) just to be by His side.

May I always chose the better thing (Luk 10:42), and be ever delighted just to be in His presence (Psa 16:11). May I value my relationship with Him over any blessings that He can give (Luk 15:28-31). May I never see the time spent honoring Him as a waste (Mar 14:4). May I only seek to go where His presence will be (Exo 33:15). May I be a treasured son that wants nothing more than to be at his Daddy’s feet, watching Him at work.

Billy Neal

Tentmaking

My oldest son hates to do the dishes. It’s that hill he has chosen to die on, persisting in resistance nearly every time he is asked to clean the kitchen. “It’s boring!” he insists, as he reverts to a three year old pouting on the floor. I guess I feel the same way sometimes—clamoring to do the more interesting work, leaving the more meaningless tasks to others. Lord knows how traumatic the tedious can be to our sensitive self-importance.

“After this Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome. Paul approached them, and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them (for they were tentmakers by trade). He addressed both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue every Sabbath, attempting to persuade them. Now when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. –Acts 18:1-5

As I read over this passage, the sudden change in Paul once Timothy and Silas arrived struck me. When Paul first arrived in Corinth, he busied himself with tentmaking, not preaching. Except for the Sabbath where he attempted to persuade in the synagogues, Paul spent his time stitching fabric. It is not until his other companions arrived from Macedonia that Paul “became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the Word.”

I’ll be honest, this seems like a misuse of time. Paul was receiving funds from the Philippian church (Phi 4:15; 2Co 11:7-9), so why spend precious time in monotonous manufacturing work, a task that other hands could do just as well.

Some commentators suggest Paul might have been slightly discouraged or depressed, like Elijah in 1 Kings 19:3-6 (see Act 18:9; 1Co 2:3). Considering all the hardships and rejection he had endured, it seems reasonable. Surely the great apostle did not learn to live in contentment (Phi 4:12) without wrestling with it.

Then I ran across a comment by Alexander MacLaren, the great expositor, regarding Paul and his tentmaking:

“Be thankful for your homely, prosaic, secular, daily task. You do not know from how many sickly fancies it saves you, and how many breaches in the continuity of your Christian feeling it may bridge over. It takes you away from thinking about yourselves, and sometimes you cannot think about anything less profitably. So stick to your work; and if ever you feel, as Paul did, ‘cast down,’ be sure that the workshop, the office, the desk, the kitchen will prevent you from being ‘destroyed,’ if you give yourselves to the plain duties which no moods alter, but which can alter a great many moods,” (MacLaren’s Expositions).

This poetic paragraph took me aback (causing me to pause and re-read it several times). Who knows what kind of healing and encouragement took place as Paul fellowshipped with Aquila and Priscilla and worked mindlessly with his hands. It was surely a blessing, a reprieve. Yet, how often do I belittle the simple tasks of life, failing to see the blessed gift of work (Ecc 2:24-25; 3:9-13, 22; Gen 2:15)? How often do I miss the fact that the mundane grants reprieve from challenge and strife?

The walk of the disciple of Christ is a hard road, with many difficult challenges (Mat 24:9; Mar 13:13; Luk 9:23; Phi 1:29; 2Ti 3:12). So if you feel bored in your work, praise the Lord He has given you something simple to do for a season. Take joy in your tentmaking; find contentment in the simplicity of sewing. There is a day on the horizon when you will face lions, bears (1Sa 17:34) and giants (1Sa 17:40-50), but for now enjoy the green pasture and still waters with psalms (Psa 23).

Billy Neal

NO DAYS OFF

No Days Off

My oldest son is a sports enthusiast, athletically talented and drawn to anything that resembles a ball. And in a family that has very little experience or interest in organized sports, he is proof that nurture may direct a child, but it is the Lord who formed him uniquely in the womb.

One of his recent interest has been the YouTube show “No Days Off,” a series of documentaries that highlights young athletes who are performing at levels above their peers. Raw talent may be exhibited in each to some degree, but it is their level of commitment to the sport and to their own fitness that is breathtaking. At twelve, ten, or eight years old, these kids are out practicing every single day, physically training their bodies to endure the rigors of the sport, and even enlisting personal trainers to teach them the finer details and keep their motivation elevated. And they take joy in every minute of their pursuit.

What a witness to other athletes to step up their commitment to their own athletic development and raise the level of their love for the sport.

Perhaps there is something here for the Christian.

I am reminded of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, where he likens the Christian to the athlete.

“Do you not know that all the runners in a stadium compete, but only one receives the prize? So run to win. Each competitor must exercise self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one.”
-1Corinthians 9:24-25

And what is our prize? Is it to stretch our bodies to new heights, until age or injury eventually ruins what we have worked so hard to build? Is it merely self-exaltation, demonstrating to the public masses what we can personally achieve, immortalizing our lives into meaningless statistics? Or is it to fill a shelf with plastic trophies destined for the landfill?

Or is it something greater?

No, we seek a true treasure of priceless worth (Mat 13:44-46). Jesus Christ—in whom is eternal life (1Jo 5:11; Joh 6:47; Rom 6:23). Not simply long existence, but abundant life (Joh 10:10). For He is the substance of life (Joh 6:48), and knowing Him is life itself (Joh 17:3). He is so glorious a reward, that death is gain (Phi 1:21), and even the sufferings of this life are not fit to be compared (Rom 8:18) with eternity with Him.

But do our lives demonstrate this worth? Or are these young athletes putting our passion to shame?

Do we pursue holiness (Heb 12:14), devoting ourselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship (Act 2:42) so that we can obey all that Christ has commanded us—out of love for Him (Joh 14:15; 1Jo 5:3)? Do we glorify God, even in the most mundane rituals of life—whether eating or drinking (1Co 10:31), sitting in our house, or walking down the road (Deu 6:6-9)? Do we praise him continually (Act 2:46-47), for both the good and the bad (1Th 5:18), because we trust Him so much (Rom 8:28)? Do we so selflessly live that all our possessions are turned over to the Lord (Act 2:44-46)?

Because our pursuit is not just about our own future, but the future of others. We have been commanded to multiply and fill the earth (Gen 1:28), not with warm bodies, but obedient disciples (Mat 28:19-20). For that definition, we must hear the hard words of Christ which demand absolute surrender and radical allegiance to Him alone (Luke 14:25-33).

And we cannot multiply what we ourselves are not.

So let us consider His glory, and seek to become singular focused (Phi 3:13) on building something great (Mat 6:33)—both within ourselves (Phi 1:20), and in others (Phi 1:9-11). Through it all, loving God with our entire being (Deu 6:5), exalting Christ in both word and deed (Col 3:17), in order to lift Him high in exaltation (Psa 68:4) so that He will draw people to Himself (Joh 12:32) and add to our number daily (Act 2:47)—not lukewarm converts (Rev 3:16), but radical disciples given to a surrendered pursuit of Jesus Christ (Luk 9:24).

No days off!

Billy Neal

Consent

consent

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. — Matthew 3:13-15

Men, Jesus has come from Galilee to John the Baptist. Feeling inadequate, John tries to deter Jesus from being baptized by him. John expects that he should be baptized by Jesus. He knows that Jesus is the Lord in flesh and will soon baptize with the Holy Spirit. John relents when Jesus explains “it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness”.

Jesus was not going to be content to fulfill most of what we needed to see from Him. He wasn’t going to walk “most” of the steps of faith and leave the rest to interpretation. From the start, Jesus is intentional about fulfilling all the acts of righteousness. John knows He doesn’t need to be baptized to wash away any sin. Jesus is sinless. Jesus came to redeem from sin, but first He is committed in obedience to every basic step outlined in the Word.

Today we say we should baptize to identify with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Rightly so, but do we also identify with His commitment to fulfill all righteousness? Jesus could have appeared in glory, demonstrated His full authority, lain down like a King upon the throne. But He chose to humble Himself. He chose selflessness. He chose to be among us in every way. Baptism is not the first example to follow from Jesus.

Move forward men, with humility as we walk among our brothers and sisters in humanity. Through Christ and by His examples, we too can engage in every act of righteousness. In fact, read it again. Jesus tells John “it is right for US to fulfill all righteousness. As agents of Christ we participate with Him. John consented to the request of Jesus. What is His Spirit asking of you? Have we even been listening? Through His Spirit, Jesus approaches us. Do we recognize Him, His voice, His compelling? As John did, recognize Him for who He is regardless of the form He comes in. Consent to His request of you with humility. All righteousness is in Him all the time within all His forms, flesh, Spirit and in Glory.

Uncommon

uncommon

And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. — Mathew 2:11-12.

Men, when the Magi reached Jesus and had worshipped Him, they offered gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. These are lavish gifts given to deities and royalty. But we only hear about it at “Christmas”. We understand gold and its economic importance, but what about the other two?

In the first century frankincense was used as fragrance in embalming rituals as well as medicine, and burning it acted as a mosquito repellent. Myrrh was used as an anointing oil, a healing balm, and an embalming oil ingredient. Both frankincense and myrrh are resins from specific trees that grow in selective regions. These gifts filled many needs.

The Magi received another dream, warning them not to return to Herod. They departed for their home another way. The Magi were noted for their ability to interpret dreams. But let’s not underestimate the value of a group of polytheistic astrologers bowing to the One True King and receiving a dream from God.

Nothing about this event is common. The Magi arrival, their worship, the gifts, and the dream all have deep significance and point to Jesus’s incomparable value and importance. He is every bit as valuable today. Have we recognized the signs in our life leading us to Him? Have we bowed and worshipped Him? Have we given Him any uncommon gift? The only uncommon gift He desires is what He has already asked for. To keep His commands, to love Him and love each other. It’s really that simple. With this simple pair of gestures all else is fulfilled.

Move forward men, with an uncommon faith, in an uncommon Lord God, with an uncommon love for Him and others, which He empowers us to do if we allow. He is who He said He is. Worthy is the King.

Vance Durrance

God With Us

Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: and knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus. — Matthew 1:22-25

Men, all this was done so that the prophecy would be fulfilled. Isaiah prophesied about the virgin birth of “Emanuel” in Isaiah 7. Another translation spells it “Immanuel”. Either way, it means “God with us”.

Joseph wakes from the dream, does as he was instructed, and married his wife but did not consummate the relationship until after the promised Son was born. They called His name Jesus. Earlier we recognized that Jesus’s legal lineage was secured through Joseph. In Luke’s account we learn that His blood line was secured through Mary.

There are more moving parts to the fulfillment of Jesus in prophecy than could ever be accounted for by a fraud. We’ll see more in following passages. There is no comparison anywhere else. Jesus is Joseph’s first born. Read Exodus 13:11-16 and consider, the redeemed first-born Son of God, Mary and Joseph would also be our redeemer.

Think about “God with us”. Not above us, but with us. Not somewhere distant in the clouds, but with us. Earlier we mentioned from vs1-17 that Jesus marked a new era. No longer would there be a separation by the curtain. Later in Acts, the Holy Spirit is sent to indwell us. We will never be alone. The complexity of God’s love for us secures it. From His physical presence in the 1st century, to His indwelling Spirit in this life, to His immediate glorified presence in the next chapter, we are never alone who call on His name as Savior.

There is an entire study which could be done on all the ways the adversary tried to stop the Lord’s redemptive plan from taking shape through history all the way back to the garden. Nevertheless, Jesus is born as prescribed.

Move forward men, with the accompaniment of the Lord our God. Fearful, alone, insufficient? Why? God is with us. As we walk with Him, darkness flees, and bows to the light. Victory is secure in His steps. Without fully comprehending all the variables, Joseph knew the dream was true and did as instructed.

Vance Durrance

Do Not Fall

Do not fall

You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen. — 2 Peter 3:17-18, NKJV

Men, Peter had started chapter 3 in vs1 stating the importance of reminding the people of the prophets’ words and the commandments in a world of false teachers. Peter ends telling his readers to beware, that they do not fall from their steadfastness. He tells them to be on guard that they do not get led astray by these false teachers and deceivers. He goes on to say, don’t lose your grasp on the truth but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Again, from Ch. 1, as we grow in grace and virtue, we are to add knowledge, self-control, perseverance, Godliness, brotherly kindness, and love. With these qualities we can stand together against the schemes of the enemy and of false teachers as we wait on our patient and loving Lord’s return.

It’s easy in our time to get led astray. We have our many distractions. Some good and others which aren’t bad on their own. We have false teachers everywhere. Truth is considered relative, facts are tools of manipulation. We are a confused and divided people and it’s getting worse. Peter would also tell us to remain steadfast. To grow in knowledge and so on. Take care to understand what you say you believe. Don’t be swept away by the changing winds of culture. Be rooted in the rock of His Word instead of sand. Take care what you worship. If your day revolves around sports scores and touchdowns, you may have a false worship problem. If your job takes top priority for you daily focus, you may need a reorientation into The Lord. Whose are you?

Move forward men, identifying the tools the enemy uses to distract us from His will for our lives. If youth travel ball is taking away family time in the Word, rethink it. If your job won’t allow time to be husband, Dad, priest of your home, down size. The Lord is our God and nothing else. Beware of false teachers and false worship. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.

Vance Durrance

Scoffers, Beware!

Beware

By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. ⁷By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. — 2 Peter 3:6-7 NIV

Men, Peter mentions those who deny the Lord, our God, as Creator. Those people who scoff at believers as superstitious or too unlearned to adhere to the theories of science. Peter says they deliberately forget that by the Word of God, heaven existed, and earth was formed out of water which He created. By the same Word of God this present heaven and earth are being preserved for judgment by fire, for the destruction of the ungodly.

Those that scoff at the things of God, our Father, have put themselves on a path to certain destruction. A person can deny that the Lord is our Creator and Sustaining Power for only so long. Some deny that the world is round, but the world is round nonetheless.

There is an end coming. This end will be met with fire, like a cosmic control burn, purging His creation of weeds and undergrowth. Those who continue to deny Him will be consumed. Sometimes it is hard to be on the receiving side of scoffers, but in the end, which will come, we who endure with faithfulness, resting in His name, will escape His wrath in mercy.

Move forward men, praying for the scoffers of this age. They willfully deny the Lord our God, dangerously playing chicken with a timeline that only the Father in heaven is aware of. In their arrogance and disdain for the Lord they adhere to unprovable and improbable theories. The truth is not in them, and they are blind to their condition. It will be a sad and horrifying day for them in the end.

Pray brothers, that the light of heaven penetrates the darkness of their hearts. Endure the trials this age doles out to us. The Lord is patient and merciful. He rewards our suffering and hears our prayers.

Vance Durrance

Deception

And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. — 2 Peter 2:2-3

Men, in Peter’s, and in our own, time, we are warned of false teachers. Peter goes on to say, many will follow them and their destructive lifestyle. By them, the way of Truth will be slandered. Their greed will exploit with destructive words. But God in heaven sees, and their destruction is not sitting idle or asleep. In the past few decades we have seen all manner of false teachers. What starts as subtle deception turns into a cult. Many cult leaders draw in followers to exploit a sense of power and authority, some for sexual deviance, some for money. We have seen mass rape, suicide, and downright strange practices from these cults.

It’s still happening. Many of today’s pastors prop themselves up as “king and queen” of the church on the corner and expect accolades from their followers, or at least that they be “in line” with their wishes, which often stray from Scripture. Galatians 6 says “…be not deceived, God is not mocked…” A just reward will come to those who sow seeds of evil among the Father’s sons and daughters. Still, we are told to beware and watchful.

We live in a time where we don’t pick up our Bibles for ourselves, nor do we even carry them to church. How then will we know if we are deceived? Will we listen to the Spirit? Which one? Our own spirit can deceive us, the spirit of the enemy can deceive us. We must be diligent about searching out His truth and hearing His voice through our own noise.

Move forward men, watchful that we are not swept away by the schemes of the enemy. If you are more passionate about your favorite sports team, or paycheck than you are about meeting with the Father, you sir, are already far swept down stream in a raging river.

Vance Durrance