Posts

Sidelined?

/in /by

“A member of a certain church, who previously had been attending services regularly, stopped going. After a few weeks, the pastor decided to visit him. It was a chilly evening. The pastor found the man at home alone, sitting before a blazing fire. Guessing the reason for his pastor’s visit, the man welcomed him, led him to a comfortable chair near the fireplace and waited. The pastor made himself at home but said nothing. In the grave silence, he contemplated the dance of the flames around the burning logs. After some minutes, the pastor took the fire tongs, carefully picked up a brightly burning ember and placed it to one side of the hearth all alone. Then he sat back in his chair, still silent. The host watched all this in quiet contemplation. As the one lone ember’s flame flickered and diminished, there was a momentary glow and then its fire was no more. Soon it was cold and “dead as a doornail.” Not a word had been spoken since the initial greeting. The Pastor glanced at his watch and realized it was time to leave, he slowly stood up, picked up the cold, dead ember and placed it back in the middle of the fire. Immediately it began to glow, once more with the light and warmth of the burning coals around it. Without a word having been spoken about the man’s absence from church, the message is clear. As the pastor prepares to leave, the host says, “I will be back in church next Sunday,” having understood the powerful, silent “sermon” about the need for community.”

Php. 2:1 adds a third “litmus test” for those who claim to be followers, and disciples of Jesus: “…if any fellowship with the Spirit…” Some translations say, “…if any participation in the Spirit…” Paul’s statement should cause you to ask some serious questions: Do you have any participation with the Holy Spirit? Do you have communion with Him? Do you have any fellowship with the Holy Spirit? When Paul wrote these words to the Philippians they knew what he was referring to. What has happened to westernized Christianity in which we cannot recognize Who He is or what He does? For example, many of us have either known someone who has had dementia, or alzheimers, or have personally experienced a love one suffering from it. As you or anyone can testify, the most heartbreaking thing that can happen is when that loved one no longer knows, recognizes, or remembers you. You can talk with them. But there is no warmth of sharing; no recognition; no connection between the two of you. Unfortunately, this is how it is for the Holy Spirit in many of our lives. It’s as if many church attenders are suffering from spiritual dementia or alzheimer’s. For many in it’s as if they have suffered from this disease all their spiritual lives.

What difference does having spiritual dementia or alzheimer’s make? Without a connection to the Spirit you will be sidelined to never really knowing or recognizing Jesus. A sidelined life will have you hearing the words of Scripture, or the message of a preacher, or the testimony of a Christian’s encounter with Jesus, or the Word – and not understand what they are talking about. Like the separated coal in the fireplace of the above illustration you will never glow with the fire and warmth of a conscious awareness of interaction with the Spirit.

With all of that said, Do you know Him? Do you have any participation with the Him? Do you have communion with Him? Do you have any fellowship with the Spirit? Could you recognize His activity in your daily life? My interaction with Him this morning inspired me to write this blog. If this blog inspires you recognize the inspiration as an invitation to come close to His fire – to His Presence. Recognize the “day of your visitation.” As young Samuel in the Tabernacle stated, “Speak Lord Your servant is listening.” (for more information on recognizing the Spirit’s activity in your life read John 13-16; Rom. 3:10-12 – and make a list of all the specific activities of the Spirit)

Haves and Have-Nots

/in /by

1 Samuel 1:2 He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Tony Evans once preached that: Debt has become a way of life. There are now three groups of people in our nation: The Haves, the Have-Nots, and the Have-Not-Paid-For-What-They-Have. Instead of living for the future, people are now paying for the past. Debt has become the new addiction.

Hannah was barren physically. For whatever reason she could not bear children. She was a have not. Unfortunately she failed to see what she had: 1 Samuel 1: 4-5, 8 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, ….But to Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah, but the Lord had given her no children….Then Elkanah her husband said to her, Hannah, why do you cry? And why do you not eat? And why are you grieving? Am I not more to you than ten sons?

Hannah focused on the “haves” and the “have nots” – rather than focusing on what she had. Unfortunately, her focus on the “haves” seemed to lead to an offense with God: but the Lord had given her no children….Psalm 119:165 states: Great peace have they who love Your Law and NOTHING shall offend them. John 5 recounts the story of a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Although Jesus knew of his condition He had not healed him, yet. In Acts 3 Peter and John entered through the Beautiful Gate, or Eastern Gate – Jesus, and all Jews would have passed through in order to pray three times a day. Jesus would have passed by this lame man – without healing him. How many times have we failed to see where God is at work because of our offense at where He wasn’t?

Making matters worse, Hannah had a “sister wife” who added to her offense: [This embarrassed and grieved Hannah] and her rival provoked her greatly to vex her, because the Lord had left her childless.7 So it was year after year; whenever Hannah went up to the Lord’s house, Peninnah provoked her, so she wept and did not eat. (1 Samuel 1:6-7) Beware of anyone who seeks to aid you in your offense – whether it be yours or there’s. Oftentimes, we are led to believe that we need to find a commiserator – one who will share in our offense. Truth be told nothing good comes of it.

Peter and John proceeded through the Beautiful Gate to worship – not stumbling over any offense. The interesting thing about the word Beautiful is that in the Greek it carries the sense of “at the right time,” thereby signifying “ripe” or “perfectly developed.” Peter, John, and Hannah’s faith, perfectly developed, overcame their possible offenses at barrenness and pressed in to God: 1 Samuel 1:10-13 And [Hannah] was in distress of soul, praying to the Lord and weeping bitterly.11 She vowed, saying, O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your handmaid and [earnestly] remember, and not forget Your handmaid but will give me a son, I will give him to the Lord all his life; … And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli noticed her mouth.13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. In that moment of faith, Hannah moved from the have nots – to living in the future Hall of Faith. She ceased being a debtor to the past – breaking her addiction to it. Her faith moved God. She became intoxicated with trust in a God Who could be moved. Scripture says, We have not because we ask not. Yet, it adds, Ask, Seek, and Knock.

A.W. Tozer once said, Behold how these Christians die, they say. And I repeat, they only died well because they’d lived well. And a man who hasn’t lived well will have a tough time getting in.…So, remember it, that a Christian dare die if he’s lived right, and he’s got his hope alive and he’s been born of the Spirit and walking with God. But he doesn’t dare die if he hasn’t. A man who’s only a church member doesn’t dare die, and yet he has to, and there’s a tragedy of it. Forced to do what he morally doesn’t dare to do. They said to old Uncle Tom, tell me where she is. He said, I can’t, Master, I can’t. Tell us where she is. I can’t, Master, I can’t. Tell us where she is or we’ll kill you. Well, Master, I can die. He couldn’t betray a friend, but he could die. So Christians dare to die.”

Followers of Christ will eventually have to choose to follow Jesus to their own death. But the death will not be physical but spiritual. Often Jesus will invite us to surrender our offenses yielding to faith in the unseen. He will invite us to worship through our times of asking, seeking and knocking. During these times will others be able to say of you, Behold how these Christians die? If you consider Jesus your friend, or truly want to be, can you lay down your life for Him?