Keep your eye on the ball

Jesus sent out seventy disciples to do preparation in every city where He would be going, then they returned saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name."

Jesus told them not to rejoice in the fact that the demons were subject to them, but that their names were recorded in heaven.   Luke 10:1,17, 20

Later in chapter 10, Martha implored Jesus to tell her sister Mary to help her with serving the guests.

Jesus pointed out that Mary had made a good choice to sit at Jesus' feet and listen to His word. (v.39)

It strikes me as important that wedged between the story of the seventy returning, and Martha imploring Jesus, we read the story of the good Samaritan.   This made me wonder why the good Samaritan story was told by Jesus at this point between the reinforcement of two truths.

The story of the robbery victim was a picture-story that Jesus used to demonstrate neighbourly behaviour.  It is a picture of faith in action, and followed the question of the lawyer, "Who is my neighbour?"  (v.29)

The priest and the Levite, both who were expected to be men demonstrating faith in action, failed to act on what was good.   The one who was supposedly the enemy was the one who acted in love.

Martha was distracted and failed to recognise what was best - to listen to the word of God from the very mouth of the Creator Himself!   The seventy missed the important point - their names are recorded in the Book of Life! 

But the Samaritan did not miss it.  He was a reflection of God's love in action:  he had his eye on the ball.

I recently read another account of God's love in action - someone who did not miss the point;  I think it's worth reproducing here.   It's a short interchange between an evangelist and a self-proclaimed atheist. 

I've taken this from an online forum "Philippians1v21" at https://philippians1v21.wordpress.com/about/. I'm not endorsing Jake McWhirter's forum because I don't know enough about him, but I see from this exchange that he loves his neighbour and has kept his eye on what is important.  (I've edited it slightly for brevity).

The striking point in this exchange is the love that the evangelist has for someone who is appearing as the enemy through personal attack, but deep down, he's not the true enemy...

1. Master Atheistic Says: 

   For all your obvious intelligence and experience, when it comes right down to it, you sound like a totally deluded (deleted) ... As a REAL Scotsman, I deplore your gullibility and childlike idiocy.
   
   
   
2. 
   

   philippians1v21 Says:

   
   Master Atheistic,
   
   You may certainly deplore my “gullibility” and “childlike idiocy” if you want, but why do you care? What is it to you? If I am gullible and childlike, why does that anger you? It does not anger or upset me that you do not believe in Jesus. It simply doesn’t affect me... Why does this produce such a reaction in you? I am sure that you believe differently than many people on other things that don’t illicit this vulgar and critical of (sic) a response from you. There is something unique, though, about this particular issue, isn’t there? ...
   
   I might suggest that there is something else below the surface here that creates this visceral reaction in you. As Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, “He doth protest too much, me thinks!” Is there perhaps even a nugget in what I have written that you know deep down is true, and that you are trying to overcome by your attack of anyone who accepts this truth? It’s something for you to think on and consider. If you say this isn’t the case, how do you explain to yourself why it upsets you that I believe in Jesus? You and I may disagree on other points as well (like who’s the better football team, or if the dress is white/gold or blue/black, or if Coldplay is a good band, or if Lost is a good TV show... But I doubt any of these issues would cause you to write a complete stranger calling them a “gullible, childlike idiot"...
   You are welcome to share your perspective and opinion here as long as you can do so in a manner that displays mutual respect and civil dialog. It is natural and expected that we don’t all agree on these issues. This is ok, and everyone should be entitled to their opinion. You won’t see me attacking another individual for their beliefs here. I will not allow others to do so, either. If you can’t contribute intellectually, or within the framework of logical discourse, then I will certainly not allow your comments to be posted here. It is NEVER fair or valid debate to claim someone’s ideas are untrue, and to support this claim by merely attacking their character, their intelligence, or their person...
   
   I certainly don’t hate you or wish you ill will. I wish you the best, and desire nothing but good for you. I don’t deplore you for not believing the same way as I do...  

Keep your eye on the ball.  Remember what really matters, that your name is in the Lamb's Book of Life, that the Word of God is Living and Active, and that the Lord of the Harvest desires to send each of us out as labourers to our neighbours to prepare for His harvest.

Luke 10:2  ... "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.

Heb. 4:12-13  For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.  And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

Rev. 20:15  And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.



Images:  http://manaylab.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/keep-your-eye-on-the-ball.gif
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/14/54/60/145460f0b09e6be6447588dc4ef22fed.jpg

 

Deathbed

Reliant K sings a song titled Deathbed.  It is written by lead singer, Matt Thiessen and sung by Thiessen with Switchfoot's Jon Foreman.  The song is epic (11 minutes) and covers a range of topics including love:

It's easier to be sure you love someone
When a father inquires with the barrel of a gun,

... taste:

 I'd acquired a taste for liquor and nicotine,

... rejection by a father:

Whatever I thought a father should be
I abandoned that thought like he abandoned me

... cars:

if life was a highway, I was drunk at the wheel,

... physiology and engineering:

I smoked until I threw up... like a machine,

... and death:

But this is my deathbed, I lie here alone
If I close my eyes tonight, I know I'll be home

 At the end of the song, Thiessen's deathbed character reflects,

I can hear you whisper to me, "It's time to leave
You'll never be lonely again"
But this was my deathbed, I died there alone
When I closed my eyes tonight, you carried me home

Home is where the heart is.  The reference in the song to "home" can only mean eternal security in Jesus, as our hearts are inclined to God and we seek eternal fellowship with him.   Whatever your life history consists of, once you have accepted the free gift of salvation that God provides in His Son Jesus, you have been redeemed.   He has purchased you by the blood of Jesus (Rev. 5:9)   There is no risk of God turning His back on the salvation that He has given you after you have been saved; in other words, you can be as sure as the death-bed character that God will carry you home when the time comes!   What security we have in God!

It's great to hide scripture in our hearts that remind us of God's goodness to us, and His promise of a secure eternity.   I want to encourage you to search out scripture that assures you of your salvation, learn the scripture, hide it in your heart, live it and recall it on a daily basis.

Here's one to get started, but there are plenty more:

If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  (Rom. 10:9 NIV)

What is your life verse?

Gollum

One of my all-time favourite fictional characters is Gollum, the corrupted hobbit in Tolkein's Lord of the Rings.

Gollum started life as Smeagol, an ordinary hobbit living an ordinary hobbit life.   On his birthday, he went fishing with his brother Deagol, who found a ring in the river.   But when Smeagol saw the One Ring, he lusted after it.   His lust for the ring was a temptation too great for him, and he murdered his brother Deagol for possession.  This was the moment when Smeagol started to waste away and become Gollum.   Gollum degenerated and became a detestable and repulsive character over the course of time as unrepented sin worked on his spirit.

But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.  Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.  (James 1:14-15)

Someone else also murdered his brother after giving in to temptation:

Cain was very angry...the Lord said to Cain... if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain...You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. Cain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden.  (Gen. 4:3-14 abridged)

Gollum is a vivid example of the absolute corruption of sin and idol worship.   We are each born with sin nature, and sadly this affects our relationship with God, our Creator.   God created mankind to have perfect fellowship with him, but the relationship was broken when man turned against God in Genesis 3; man desired to "be like God" (v.5).  Another way to look at this is that man desired to be his own god and rule over himself.   In C.S. Lewis' book Out of the Silent Planet, in which Oyarsu represents God, the wise old sorn Augray says about man,

"It is because every one of them wants to be a little Oyarsu himself"

 and

 "They are like one trying to lift himself by his own hair - or one trying to see over a whole country when he is on a level with it - like a female trying to beget young on herself."

I love the way that Edgar Winter has graphically depicted corrupted worship in his book The Tabernacle of David Today.   It shows man's attitude of worship degenerating from true worship in spirit and truth which is what God desires (see John 4:23-24) to idolatry and self-worship.

Just as we see Gollum wasting away in Lord of the Rings, so every individual is wasting away whilst wallowing in sin.   God, in His lovingkindness, drove the man out of the garden of Eden so that he would not eat from the tree of life and therefore live forever in sin.   But it needn't be like that:  God provided for reconciliation through the death of Jesus on the cross:

And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf. (2 Cor. 5:15 NASB)

Gollum is not a favourite because I like him; rather, Gollum reminds us to check in on our relationship with God on a daily basis.

A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.  (1 Cor. 11:28)

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  (Ps. 139:23-24)

"The Worship Evolution" graphic used by express permission of Edgar Winter. 

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus by John R. Cross:  A great resource!

John R. Cross has released the 5th Edition of his very popular book, "The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus" which I have read and used as a resource several times.

The book is written from the perspective of what Jesus might have said to the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus in Luke 24:13-27.   It is written as a "walk-through-the-bible" type study with the focus on the person of Jesus and the work of Jesus.  I guess this focus prompted the new cover of the 5th Edition with the added words, "Who was the Man?  What was the Message?"

His writings are very clear and easy to read.   John Cross says in the book,

God came to earth to personally explain how man could be saved from eternal death. Think of it this way. You see a bulldozer clearing a road, but in its path lies an anthill. You know the ants are about to be destroyed, but what can you do about it? The only answer would be to become an ant and warn them in the way ants warn each other of impending danger. …Jesus came into the world to save sinners… 1 Timothy 1:15 NASB

and,

One author, in writing of the Bible’s uniqueness, put it this way:   Here is a book:

1. written over a 1500 year span;

2. written over 40 generations;

3. written by more than 40 authors, from every walk of life— including kings, peasants, philosophers, fishermen, poets, statesmen, scholars... : Moses, a political leader, trained in the universities of Egypt; Peter, a fisherman; Amos, a herdsman; Joshua, a military general; Nehemiah, a cupbearer; Daniel, a prime minister; Luke, a doctor; Solomon, a king; Matthew, a tax collector; Paul, a rabbi;

4. written in different places: Moses in the wilderness; Jeremiah in a dungeon; Daniel on a hillside and in a palace; Paul inside a prison; Luke while traveling; John on the isle of Patmos; others in the rigors of a military campaign;

5. written at different times: David in times of war; Solomon in times of peace

6. written during different moods: some writing from the heights of joy and others from the depths of sorrow and despair

7. written on three continents: Asia, Africa, and Europe

8. written in three languages: Hebrew… , Aramaic… , and Greek…

9. finally, its subject matter includes hundreds of controversial topics. Yet, the biblical authors spoke with harmony and continuity from Genesis to Revelation. There is one unfolding story…

... and Cross outlines this fascinating story of the redemption of man throughout the book.

It's a book for believers and non-believers, individuals and small groups.   The book is supported with videos and a leader's guide also available.

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus is currently a free ebook download on Amazon.com.au:

https://www.amazon.com.au/Stranger-Road-Emmaus-Who-Man-What-Message/dp/B00200KF62/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1486948860&sr=1-1

Here's the publisher's homepage and book review:

http://www.goodseed.com/the-stranger-on-the-road-to-emmaus.html

Flipping the classroom - a hot topic

When I was in Year 10, I had a terribly boring English teacher.   She liked to teach in a darkened room with the floor-to-ceiling curtains shut because she thought it created "atmosphere".   It also created an opportunity for an enterprising young student to jump out the window and not be missed.  I had some wonderful times during those English classes - walking around the school, socialising, finding a quiet spot in the library to study maths and read interesting books, and going to the cafeteria.   Sometimes we left as a team, and other times, we just left...

In education circles, the topic of a flipped classroom is gaining traction, and it has many strengths that the church should seriously consider.

The flipped classroom is one that moves away from the traditional classroom model where a teacher (supposedly all-knowledgable!) lectures from the front, students take notes, maybe have opportunity to ask questions, then take homework to complete in their own time.  On the other hand, when the classroom is flipped, the teacher provides an opportunity for the learning session in the student's own time, usually by posting a lecture video and sending an invitation.   When the teacher and student come together, they can cover off questions the student has prepared, have discussions and class interaction, or focus on a specific problem the individual is having.   This way, all students work to their own pace, pursue personal learning goals and objectives and have more freedom to use their own learning styles.  

Some of the problems with the traditional classroom include students at different stages of learning, learning difficulties, different learning styles, varying work ethic and concentration span, vastly different personalities, educational history, and preferences and biases learned from experience.   We can certainy see the impact of these problems in our traditional church leadership development!   Classroom learning holds many back from serious progress, whilst it is too fast-paced for others.  We have people who are "up-front" leaders, who want to ask questions, dominate conversations and discussions (but hopefully not debate the teacher...!), and the shy ones who don't even want to speak in class!

I am not certain who coined the phrase, "From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side", but the earliest reference I can find to it is attributed to Alison King in 1993.   I like this quote.

There is certainly an argument for the sage on the stage teaching method, and that's why the flipped classroom is a hot topic.   But there's also an argument for the other style - guide on the side.

Jesus spoke to the crowds and imparted information and knowledge to them.  Paul went to places where the people were; he sought out places of congregation.   Stephen is famous for his speech in Acts 7 to a large crowd.   These examples were not interactive teaching.   These are examples of the "Sage on the stage", and yes, we find such examples in the bible.   More recently, Billy Graham's ministry is an example of teaching from the front, so is Chuck Swindoll's, John F. MacArthur's and Alistair Begg's, but I'm sure these men also disciple others in a small group and individual setting.

Guide-on-the-side is more conducive to the biblical model of discipleship.  Jesus spoke to the crowds, but he spent quality time with the twelve!   He gave the crowds information, but he explained and practiced his teaching with the disciples.   He spent even more time with Peter, James and John.   The guide-on-the-side style doesn't even need to rely on the classroom environment but can be practiced in the field.  It can be activity or assignment-based.  The flipped classroom method has been used successfully by military organisations for centuries.

From a leadership development viewpoint, there are other advantages too.  These include stronger team development, better peer learning and accountabilities, and a more cohesive team.  

Sage-on-the-stage is teacher-centric whereas Guide-on-the-side is learner-centric.   I'd push that analogy a little further and say that in the church, Guide-on-the-side is increasingly Jesus-centric as the learner desires to become more Christ-like through learning, guiding, mentoring and discipleship.

Hopefully this article is just enough to whet your appetite to do your own research (or did you fall asleep in the research methodology lecture...?)

Reference:  
King, A. (1993), From Sage on the Stage to Guide on the Side, College Teaching 41(1):30-35

Karma: a warped worldview

It seems our society is fascinated with the concept of karma. I wonder if everyday Mr. Ordinary on the street understands what karma is; whether the fascination is one of ignorance, or a deliberate warping of the Word of God.

A quick search on YouTube of the word "karma" gives a result of 8.5 million videos.   Many of these show someone "getting what they deserve".   A Google search of "karma" gives 189,000,000 results.

You can even buy a GoPro Drone named "Karma".  There is a very sinister reason why GoPro chose this name.

In a media Q&A session in October 2016, GoPro CEO Nick Woodman ... took a philosophical approach ...  “We believe that when people share experiences, those experiences become more meaningful to the people that capture them,” Woodman said. “GoPro enables people to share experiences in such a way that the people who are receiving that story, in some ways, feel as though they experienced it themselves. Because the story was not captured from the sidelines, the story was captured from within the experience. So in this way, GoPro is an experience-transfer company. An experience-sharing company. And there’s an energy transfer in that. A chi transfer in that to a certain degree, potentially, a karma transfer to that.”    From http://mashable.com/2016/09/20/why-gopro-drone-called-karma/#OWWOqV5BaPqk

I realise that Woodman's explanation is a mish-mash of eastern mystic concepts with his attempt to roll karma and chi transfers into one transaction, but let's just focus on the karma part in this blog!

Carm.org defines the law of karma as a hindu concept in which "every thought or deed, whether they are good or bad, will count in determining how an individual will be born in their next life on earth", so intertwines consequences of actions with reincarnation.

The law of karma teaches that a person will be judged by their life on earth, and the "balance" of their actions will be either good or bad; there will be a credit or a debit.  A debit result dictates a return to a worse or lower form of life, but a credit result will provide rebirth at a higher form or in a higher caste. 

As with all cults and false religions, there is an element of truth and an element of deception.  Only through examination of the teaching carefully measured with the bible, can we discern the truth.

We see the fall of man in Genesis chapter 3, and from that point forward, all of mankind has been born with sin nature.   Romans 3:23 and other verses tell us that everyone has a sin problem; there is none without sin (except Jesus - see Hebrews 4:15)

As there is none without sin, and the punishment for sin is death (Romans 6:23), man has a problem when it comes to his relationship with God.   Man's relationship with God was severed.   But in His grace, God sent His Son Jesus to take our place.   Jesus took all of mankind's sin upon Himself and opened the way for a restored relationship between God and man.   If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved (Rom. 10:9, NIV).  

So we see that it is by grace alone that man is saved.   Not by works.   (See Ephesians 2:8-9).   Karma is a works-based philosophy that is without hope; there is no concept of restoration or redemption during the current life, so sin can not be atoned for.   Contrast this with salvation by the grace of God, which removes sin in its entirety and gives perfect hope.

So how does the concept of karma enter into western thinking?   It has probably crept in over the centuries as people travel and bring back eastern concepts, but also in a rapidly changing world we have much more cross-cultural experience and multi-ethnic communities.  As I stated earlier, there is an element of truth and an element of deception.   We've seen that the element of deception is false hope; a false hope for a better life. 

The element of truth is seen in Galatians 6:7b:  "A man reaps what he sows."   People love to see evil men being dealt with justly, but they prefer not to acknowledge the truth of the bible, otherwise they feel that they will have to deal with their own relationship with God, so it's easier to embrace an empty philosophy that feels good at the time.   Watching a bully get punched in the face by the victim, or an armed robber who has his firearm turned back on him make people feel good without any personal conviction or examination.

Food for thought:  maybe the application for believers is to embrace the enthusiasm of our friends when they talk about "karma" in the sense that justice is being administered by circumstances, and use this as an opportunity to point them to the truth of God's Word and His ultimate judgment.   For, make no mistake:  God will not be mocked (Gal. 6:7a)

PS:  Apparently having a GoPro makes me a hero

Take every thought captive

I subscribe to a weekly teaching page "GotQuestions.org".  This week's question/answer is quite good, so I've reproduced it below.

Question: "How can I take control of my thoughts?"

Answer: Many Christians struggle with this issue, especially in our highly technological world, but taking control of our thoughts is essential. Proverbs 4:23 states, "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." The “heart” includes the mind and all that proceeds from it. Someone said that every sin we commit, we commit twice, once in our thoughts and again when we act upon those thoughts. It is easier to rid our lives of sin if we attack it at this fundamental thought level rather than waiting for it to become rooted in our lives by our actions and then try to pull it out.

There is also a difference between being tempted (a thought entering into the mind) and sinning (dwelling upon an evil thought and wallowing in it). It is important to understand that when a thought enters our mind, we examine it based upon God's Word and determine if we should continue down that path or reject the thought and replace it with another thought. If we have already allowed a habit to form in our thought lives, it becomes more difficult to change the path of our thoughts, even as it is hard to get a car out of a deep rut and onto a new track. Here are some biblical suggestions for taking control of our thoughts and getting rid of wrong thoughts:

1. Be in God's Word so that when a sinful thought enters our mind (a temptation), we will be able to recognize it for what it is and know what course to take. Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4) responded to each of Satan's temptations with Scripture that applied to the direction He knew His mind should take instead of beginning down the path of the sinful thought. When tempted to meet His physical need (turn stone into bread), He recited the passage about the importance of relying upon God. When tempted to serve Satan in order to obtain the glory of the world, He brought up the passage that says we are to serve and worship God alone and speak of the glory that belongs to Him and those who are His. When tempted to test God (to see if God was really there and would keep His promises), Jesus responded with passages that stress the importance of believing God without having to see Him demonstrate His presence.

Quoting Scripture in a time of temptation is not a talisman, but rather serves the purpose of getting our minds onto a biblical track, but we need to know the Word of God AHEAD of time in order to accomplish this. Thus, a daily habit of being in the Word in a meaningful way is essential. If we are aware of a certain area of constant temptation (worry, lust, anger, etc.), we need to study and memorize key passages that deal with those issues. Looking for both what we are to avoid (negative) and how we are to properly respond (positive) to tempting thoughts and situations—before they are upon us—will go a long way to giving us victory over them.

2. Live in dependence upon the Holy Spirit, chiefly through seeking His strength through prayer (Matthew 26:41). If we rely upon our own strength, we will fail (Proverbs 28:26;Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 26:33).

3. We are not to feed our minds with that which will promote sinful thoughts. This is the idea of Proverbs 4:23. We are to guard our hearts—what we allow into them and what we allow them to dwell on. Job 31:1 states, "I have made a covenant with my eyes; Why then should I look upon a young woman" (NKJV). Romans 13:14 states, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." Thus, we are to avoid periodicals, videos, websites, conversations and situations that will set us up for a fall. We should also avoid spending time with those who would encourage us down these wrong paths.

4. We are to pursue hard after God, substituting godly pursuits and mindsets for sinful thoughts. This is the principle of replacement. When tempted to hate someone, we replace those hateful thoughts with godly actions: we do good to them, speak well of them, and pray for them (Matthew 5:44). Instead of stealing, we should work hard to earn money so we can look for opportunities to give to others in need (Ephesians 4:28). When tempted to lust after a woman, we turn our gaze, praise God for the way He has made us—male and female—and pray for the woman (for example: "Lord, help this young woman to come to know you if she does not, and to know the joy of walking with you"), then think of her as a sister (1 Timothy 5:2). The Bible often speaks of "putting off" wrong actions and thoughts but then "putting on” godly actions and thoughts (Ephesians 4:22-32). Merely seeking to put off sinful thoughts without replacing those thoughts with godly ones leaves an empty field for Satan to come along and sow his weeds (Matthew 12:43-45).

5. We can use fellowship with other Christians the way God intended. Hebrews 10:24-25 states, "And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Fellow Christians who will encourage us in the changes we desire (best if of the same gender), who will pray for and with us, who will ask us in love how we are doing, and who will hold us accountable in avoiding the old ways, are valuable friends indeed.

Last and most important, these methods will be of no value unless we have placed our faith in Christ as Savior from our sin. This is where we absolutely must start! Without this, there can be no victory over sinful thoughts and temptations, and God’s promises for His children are not for us, nor is the Holy Spirit’s power available to us!

God will bless those who seek to honor Him with what matters most to Him: who we are inside and not just what we appear to be to others. May God make Jesus’ description of Nathanael true also of us—a man [or woman] in whom there is no guile (John 1:47).

Recommended Resource: The Mind of Christ by T.W. Hunt

from https://www.gotquestions.org/QOTW.htm and https://www.gotquestions.org