May 2012 Blog 5: Let’s Talk About the Smoke

Sometimes in reading the Book of Revelation, there will be a tendency to fly past some words and phrases that are descriptive, but do not appear to add any additional insight to the meaning of the text. The word “smoke” is one of those cases. So, let me rewind just a little and do a word study on the use of smoke in the text.

The word used in Revelation 8 for smoke is found twelve times in Revelation and only one other time in the New Testament. On the Day of Pentecost and the first day of the Church Age, Peter quotes from Joel’s prophecy and says in Acts 2:19, “ ‘I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.’ ” Smoke is often considered the visible evidence that something is burning, whether in delight as a person sits around a campfire enjoying the evening, or in distress watching their home go up in flames as the result of a nasty forest fire. Smoke can be good; smoke can be bad.

In the Book of Revelation, there are three kinds of smoke. In Revelation 8:4 and 15:8, smoke is associated with the heavenly altar and is directly related to the power and Glory of God. Remember the vision of Isaiah? Isaiah 6:4: At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke. Second, in Revelation 9, smoke is connected both to the Abyss from which the locust demons rise and to the destructive horse demons of the sixth trumpet. The final description of smoke is found in Revelation 14 and 18 used to describe the eternal torment of the beast’s followers and the great prostitute Babylon.

In the Old Testament, smoke symbolizes several different truths. It can refer to the temporary nature of human life on earth. Psalm 102:3 reminds us, For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.  Smoke is used as a fitting description of the toll of judgment on all evil as portrayed in Nahum 2:13, “I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.” By far the most impressive and powerful use of smoke in the Scriptures is when it portrays the presence of Almighty God in His holiness. From our study in the Book of Exodus a few years ago, you may remember this description: Exodus 19:18: Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the LORD descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, the whole mountain trembled violently.  Looking to the future, the Prophet Isaiah anticipated a day when the smoke of the Lord would declare His presence in the eternal city of Jerusalem. Isaiah 4:5 tells us, Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy.

May this be a reminder that every word God has placed in the Bible has pinpoint accuracy and value. Use this year to become better at slowing down a little and searching for the deeper and fuller meaning of God’s Word.

April 2012, Blog 4: 

Why the 7-Sealed Scroll?

By the time we arrive at Revelation 5, we are ready for the unfolding of God’s plan…and God does not disappoint in the manner in which He reveals His designated future, with a scroll. In the first century, scrolls were not only common they were the communication format of the day. Made of papyrus from reed plants, the pages were pressed together after the reed fibers had been stripped along the grain. After overlapping the fibers, the sheets (about twelve inches square) were then glued together into strips of paper about thirty feet long and left to dry. Once the drying process was completed, the surface was rubbed smooth with a mild abrasive and was ready to receive the ink from a stylus often made of similar materials. I share this only because it is important to understand, this was not a book; it was a sealed document. And being sealed seven times was the way the Roman Empire distinguished a contract from all other documents. Although there has been much debate on the meaning of this scroll, some insights may give us some clarity and confidence. 

While in seminary, Dr. Robert Thomas was one of my professors and may be best known for his Exegetical Commentaries on the Book of Revelation. In his explanation of the seven-sealed document of Revelation Five, he writes, “This kind of document was known all over the Middle East in ancient times and was used by the Romans from the time of Nero on. The full contract would be written on the inner pages and sealed with seven seals. Then the content of the contract would be described briefly on the outside. All kinds of transactions were consummated this way, including marriage-contracts, rental and lease agreements, release of slaves, contract-bills, and bonds. Support also comes from Hebrew practices. The Hebrew document most closely resembling this scroll was a title-deed that was folded and signed, requiring at least three witnesses. A portion of text would be written, folded over and sealed, with a different witness signing at each fold. A larger number of witnesses meant that more importance was assigned to the document.”

Let me expand on Dr. Thomas’ comments on Hebrew practices for a moment. In Jeremiah 32:6, the prophet says, “…The word of the LORD came to me: Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’ ” Now, when we jump down to verse 9, the purchase is made: “…so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver.” Sounds like a simple transaction in the ancient world. Want a field; pay for a field; own the field. But…what signified the ownership? Jeremiah continues in verse 11: “I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy.” These deeds of purchase were scrolls. The inside contained the description of the property, and the outside or unsealed portion, contained the requirements necessary to redeem the property.

Using the historical symbolism of the ancient world, we are told God is about to unroll His Judgment Scroll, His long anticipated final steps of redemption of this lost and cursed world. He has a plan to condemn wickedness and reward righteousness and the only one worthy, who met all the requirements, to unroll this plan is God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

March 2012 Blog 3: What is “Replacement Theology?”

Some who are reading this Blog are wondering, “What in the world is this about and why is Glen addressing this as a part of the Revelation Series?” I will attempt to be short and sweet, but with current tensions in the Middle East and sermons later in the year on Armageddon, I do feel some education will be helpful.

The basic tenant of Replacement Theology (the more modern name) is that Israel has been replaced by the church in God’s plan and timetable. Those who hold to this errant interpretation of Scripture hold: 1) God is done with Israel as His chosen people; 2) Any mention of the title “Israel” after the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2 is merely a reference to the New Testament Church; and 3) All of God’s promises to and covenants with Israel have been given to the church…except the curses, which still belong to the Jews due to their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah.

Replacement Theology has been around a long, long time and many believe set the stage for much of the anti-Semitic feelings in the world today. Originally called “Supersessionism,” some suggest this misled theological position dates all the way back to Marcion (A.D. 160), who launched a crusade to cleanse the church of what he considered to be dangerous Jewish errors and traditional influences. Unfortunately, several early church Fathers began to carry the same torch and Supersessionism began to gain traction. The result was a huge rift between Judaism and early Christianity leading to much of the persecution of Christians in the second and third centuries.

Without space for a lengthy discussion, let me simply share three reasons why this reasoning is incorrect and three dangers in holding this view.

Incorrect Reasoning

First, the approach to studying Scripture through this lens has led some to contend that the New Testament is anti-Semitic. Nothing could be farther from the truth…after all, Jesus was a Jew. The New Testament clearly honors the Jewish people. When you read Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, we are taught that Gentiles (non-Jews) have been “brought near” to God through “the blood of Christ.” But at one time, we were “separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.” (Ephesians 2) Gentiles are said to be “loved on account of the Patriarchs,” who by the way were all Jews…as were the writers of the New Testament… as were the Apostles… as were the earliest Christians …as was our Savior!

Second, the people of Israel are still God’s chosen people. This has not changed. Seventy-seven times the New Testament references Israel and none of those references refer to the church. If you replace the word Israel with “church,” many passages lose meaning. Romans 10:1 shares, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.” Using the word “church” makes no sense. The church, by definition is the “called out ones;” the already saved community. “Yeah, but Glen, doesn’t the Jewish rejection of Christ create a sin so large, the result is their loss of favor with God?” Let’s let the Apostle Paul answer this question. Romans 11:1 says, “I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendent of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.” God loves Israel is an everlasting covenant.

Third, the church’s role has never changed and can be summed up in a Great Commission and a Great Commandment. The Great Commission reminds us to go into all the world and make disciples. The Great Commandment tells us to love our Lord with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength. We were never commanded to become Israel. We are to honor and support Israel “for the sake of the Patriarchs,” (Romans 11:28), for without them, we would not have a Savior. We are to show mercy to Israel, (Romans 11:31), because no nation has faced or will ever face the level of animosity and disdain Israel has. We are to pray for the Jewish people, (Psalm 122:6), as God has commanded us to do. And there is even a mention of protection found in the Bible. Isaiah 62:6-7 shares, “I have posted a watchman on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You will call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he established Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.”

Three Dangers to Consider

Danger One: Anti-Semitic attitudes and actions. Just look at history. This kind of reasoning has promoted persecution of the Jewish people and numerous atrocities on the people of Israel causing them to have to fight for their lives. Martin Luther, one of our heroes of the Reformation promoted Jewish ghettos and burning synagogues as well as the destruction of all Jewish writings, (On the Jews and Their Lies,” Trans. Martin H. Bertram, in Luther’s Works [Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971], pp. 268-271). Is this the lens of all Replacement theologians? No! But anti-Semitism has a long history and this viewpoint has contributed to the suffering. Watch the news and you will see not a lot has changed!

Danger Two: Devaluation of the Inerrant Scriptures. Suddenly, the importance and credibility of the Old Testament Scriptures is gone because their prophecies are not to be trusted. When we read Scripture and scripturally differentiate between Israel and the Church, law and grace, the natural conclusion is the application to believer’s truth that belongs exclusively to Israel--and misapplied truth always results in error. And the more time you spend in the world of error and misinterpretation, the easier the slide down the slippery slope on biblical deviation. Large denominations and their schools are already well down this slide.

Danger Three: Prophecy has a faulty interpretation. God’s plan is for a remnant of Israelites to come to salvation and I believe the twentieth century re-gathering of the Jewish nation is both a fulfillment of prophecy and a miraculous work of God as the first step, (Isaiah 11:10-12). At the return of Christ, millions of Jewish people will turn to Christ. Zechariah 12:10 tells us, “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.” Yes, a day is coming when Israel will finally recognize their Messiah and call on the name of the Lord, (Joel 2:31-32). Read Romans 11:5 carefully. One day the “fullness of the Gentiles” will have come to Christ and then Jewish stubbornness will be laid aside and revival will strike the land of Israel.

Traveling to the Seven Churches of Revelation is quite an experience. All of them are in severe ruin, but all of them have a story to tell through biblical study and research. This month, I thought it would be interesting to examine what life would have been like in the early church. Surviving in the culture and technology (or lack thereof) of the first century would have created numerous challenges and opportunities. Travel with me back to the original life in the Seven Churches of Revelation and gain a greater appreciation for the Christians living their faith back when our Lord sent them a personalized letter.

City Life

To really understand daily life in the first century we must think differently than living in a “spoiled” California culture. Houses in the cities of the 7 churches prior to Roman occupation (133 B.C.) were all mud brick with a stone foundation. Some were two-story; some had private wells while others relied on public fountains; all were arranged around a “common” courtyard so additional rooms (insulas) could be added as the family grew through birth or marriage. Houses were lit by oil lamps and several oil lamps were combined to form a type of candelabra.

The main “hang-out” in most ancient towns was the public baths. Most were attractively decorated with marble walls or frescos and were much more than a place to wash…they included facilities for exercise, relaxation, eating, entertainment, debate and even learning. These baths were usually gender separate…but Rome was known for mixed bathing until the reign of Emperor Hadrian. These baths were separated by water temperature. A furnace would heat the hottest bathing quarters, but as the water flowed to different rooms, water temperature cooled. People were very concerned with their appearance. The baths were known as the original “Supercuts.” Women’s hair styles among the elite were elaborate and changed often as portrayed in the many statues you can see when visiting the museums available in Turkey. Most hairdressing was done by a woman’s “ornatrix,” a personal slave/servant, following her bath. Women in the richer cities loved accessories. Women wore hairpins, earrings and brooches, usually commemorating one of the local gods. 

One last item of interest would be their aromatic emphasis. Perfumes were a big deal and quite an art in the ancient world. Different smells not only camouflaged body odor, but also were a part of the stress therapy of the people. Even back then, people knew that a new “Yankee Candle” would make life a little easier. 

Local Products

Needless to say, each of the cities in the region we know call Turkey could have different ways of making a living. The Ionian cities, for instance, (Ephesus, Smyrna and Pergamum) were known for their wine. Thyatira was driven by their guilds specializing in wool, leather and bronze. Sardis hit the jack-pot with their gold discovery and minting of coins. Laodicea was a vacation get-away with thermal springs coming from nearby Hierapolis. Each city may have been a little different, but they also had products in common such as tobacco, cotton, fruits of all kinds and various vegetables.

Children

Raising children in the ancient world was a bit “dicey” at best. Upon birth, a child was “presented” to the father for him to determine if he would “accept” the child. If the child was not accepted, there were several options…none good. 1) The child could be abandoned and left to die. 2) The child could be picked up by a childless couple…an early form of adoption. 3) The child might be purchased by slave-traders and brought up in a life of servitude. If the child was accepted, a celebration followed, which was always a little more public and enthusiastic if the child was a boy. In the more Greek towns, moms were expected to feed and care for the children…but history suggests that children had to grow up fast due to the high levels of infection and dangers of childbirth. The average age for a woman in these days was about 27 years old.

Travel

No airports or high-speed rail in the ancient world…but there were excellent roads. Most travel was by foot, some on horseback in chariots and elegant wagons if you were among the wealthy. The ancient world was dotted with roadside inns for a modest fee. However, most travelers would set up tents and fear for their safety whenever the sun went down. Bandits were a constant danger. Interesting note: sea journeys were relatively safer, and sea vessels sailed quite near the coastline. We can easily assume that most travels sought the use and expedience of rivers whenever available. 

Medicine

Although the ancient world would have had ancient forms of medicine, several of the cities described in Revelation had elite medical facilities. Remember, people in the ancient world were extremely polytheistic and believed that the majority of personal illness was the punishment of the gods and goddesses. So, in order to recover from disease, people thought they first needed to make the gods happy. Excavations have uncovered shrines to various gods and even body parts which may have been prayed over by pagan priests as people sought health. Some cities, such as Pergamum and Laodicea, had advanced schools of medicine…and hospitals. Great advances were made in healing salves and powders in these schools despite many of their crude techniques. Even mental illness was addressed in the ancient world. The Asclepion in Pergamum was the first to use drug therapy and see the value of exercise and diet as a curative agent.

I remember the day clearly. Nancy and I had taken the short boat ride out to a memorial platform, listening to a brief introduction and peered over the sidebars to watch oil leaking from the remains of the USS Arizona beneath us. Of course, we were memorializing that fateful day in December, 1941, when the United States stood on the brink of defeat because of her unpreparedness. Admirals, generals and citizens alike were caught sleeping as a surprise attack shocked our country, vowing we would be ready next time. Several disasters and seventy years later, our preparedness is still lacking and this has motivated me to devote 2012 to the study of the Book of Revelation and the last days. The Word of God is packed with warnings of God’s pending judgment upon individuals and nations…unfortunately the world still remains lethargic and unprepared, despite the warding provided by the Lord Himself.

Two thousand years ago, the Lord Jesus Christ stated the certainty of His return, but gave no detail as to dates. Matthew 24:36 remains one of the most misunderstood and misused passages in the Bible, but is nonetheless true; “ ‘No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.’ ” Even the angels do not posses this information. And because the timeline is uncertain, believers are told to remain in a constant state of alert in preparation for two forms of judgment.

The Judgment of Israel

Matthew 24-25, often called the Olivet Discourse, tells us that prior to the return of Christ, the world would resemble an era just prior to the flood in the days of Noah, (24:37). In those days, the populace would be enjoying their food, drink and opulent lifestyles while Noah and his family were building the Ark. For 120 years, Noah’s warning cries landed on deaf ears…until the rains came. Likewise, at the second coming of Christ, the wicked will be removed by destruction from the presence of the Lord, and the saved will remain to populate 1000 years of Christ’s Millennial Reign, (24:40-41). 

To skillfully demonstrate the need for staying alert, our Lord uses a series of parables, primarily calling the nation of Israel to wake up. The Parable of the Goodman describes the severance of saved Jewish survivors from unsaved Jewish survivors at the conclusion of the Great Tribulation. Some Jews will have their hearts and hopes set on Christ; unfortunately, the majority will remain looking for their messiah’s return and place their hope in a false Christ and perish with him.

The Judgment of the Gentiles

At the conclusion of the Tribulation Period, Christ will sit on the Throne of David and also separate the unsaved Gentiles from the saved as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. Saved Gentiles will enter into millennial joy and eternal life (25:34, 46); unsaved gentiles will be cast into a place of eternal punishment originally designed for the Devil and his angels, (25:41). What is important about the concluding section of the Olivet Discourse is that only the Chief Shepherd can infallibly distinguish between the saved and the lost, (25:32-33). 

Threefold Call for All Christians

Allow me to conclude by returning to another Parable shared by our Lord, the Parable of the Fig Tree, (24:32-35). Read it carefully and the message is alarming. Our Lord is telling the disciples that when a tree blooms in the spring, we know summer is around the corner. And just as God programmed indicators into nature, He also programmed into prophetic history certain time indicators of future events. I believe it means that all the previously listed signs in the Olivet Discourse will continue and expand throughout the church age and ultimately reach a climax at the end of the age and that is the generation who will witness this fulfillment. But as the culmination of the ages draws near, Christians must head a threefold call: “Keep watching; stay ready; keep serving.” 

So then, does it make a difference how I live? Does it make a difference if I am a good, helpful, honest, faithful, and loving person? It will not make a difference in your bank account or in your chances for fame and fortune. But sooner or later, we can learn as Solomon did, that these are the kinds of things that really matter. “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Read the rest of this entry…

It matters that we learn how to share our lives with others, making them and our world different because of what God is doing in us, and we are becoming. It matters if we learn to recognize that the pleasures of every day (food, work, and friendships) are simply expressions of God’s presence in our lives and His wonderful desire to meet all of our needs.

I have stood at the Grand Canyon and have seen this massive gorge that has been cut by the mighty Colorado River. To the casual observer, it would seem that nothing on earth is harder than rock and nothing easier to divert than water. Yet, over the centuries, the water has won the battle, cutting into and reshaping the rock. No one drop of water is stronger than rock, but each one contributed to the ultimate victory. So it is with Christians in life. Shall we remain trapped in Rat Race thinking, wondering if we could ever have an impact or will we instead slowly seek to change our world, by stepping back and resting in the power of Almighty God, who will change us – one person at a time.

There was once a starfish that lived in the ocean. “Pardon me,” he said to the whale. “Could you tell me where I can find the sea?”

“You’re already in the sea,” replied the whale. “It’s all around you.”

“This?” replied the starfish. “This is just the ocean. I’m looking for the sea.”

The frustrated starfish swam away to continue searching for the sea.

“Look no further,” yelled the wise old whale after him. “Seaing is a matter of seeing!”

As you make the transition in how you view your life, you will probably remain the same person on the outside. You may keep the same job and the same relationships. You may still get angry and impatient sometimes, and there may be occasions when you feel sad or disappointed. But remember, your transformation happens on the inside through God’s help. You will look at your life in a different way and see things with new insight and greater clarity as God shows you His perspective and helps you keep each thought under His control.

An important truth we sometimes forget is that as part of our “being,” our life is to revolve around the Lord. Unfortunately for many, when Jesus comes into their lives, they say, “O.K., now my eternal destiny is taken care of, so I’ll live the Christian life the best I can.” We set Jesus aside as someone who can help us achieve our goals and assist us when we get into trouble. In general, He becomes our servant, rather than we His. So let’s get back to basics again. Jesus needs to be at the center of our life. He needs to be integral to all we do. He, not our desires, becomes our plumb line. He sets the standards. Say it any way you wish, the bottom line is, Who is in control of your life? – you or the Lord?

When you are able to answer “the Lord,” you are well on your way to being all God wants you to be and to discovering the wonderful, abundant life He has for you. In so doing, you can avoid the pressures the world tries to put on you, the traps of the Enemy, and the many frustrations of the Rat Race. May the Lord help you stay in His race for you, so that you may be able to say with Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7-8: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

On the journey with you,

Pastor Glen

Psychologists have a term to describe people who are caught up in the Rat Race. The term is obsessive-compulsive. Such people may think they are doing all right in life because they get so much accomplished. But in reality they may be stressed out, critical, and driven by all the things they “ought” to do. They aren’t satisfied with their own performance or that of others. Rarely can they accomplish enough. This mindset leaves them with unfinished projects—partially read books, half-completed tasks—that have gotten set aside. Something else came up that seems a higher priority. The resulting frustration and emotional strain often cause them to crash and take others with them on the way down.

 

Read the rest of this entry…

 

 

Have you ever been so busy, so excited about where you’re going, and so consumed with what is on your plate at that moment in time, that you forgot about the destination? Sometimes we are running our own race and the littlest things of life can throw us off stride if we are not focusing on the finish line. Therefore, what every child of God needs, in order to best facilitate their race, is a life map.

We can find three kinds of people: those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who have no idea at all what’s happening. The last two types are very frustrating lifestyles. But when a person has a life map, frustration is reduced, James wrote concerning the double-minded man, “That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (James 1:7). Divided loyalty and divided focus produce frustration. So what are the basics to finding your life map? I believe there are four steps.

           

Finding Your Life Map

 

            1. Spend time alone with God. One reason why we find ourselves living life without direction is our busyness. “I’m too busy to stop, too busy to plan … too busy to even read my Bible.” You’re on a plane with no navigator, making record time, but you have no idea where you’re going. We are told, “ ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth’ ” (Psalm 46:10). We have to stop and listen; that may mean turning off the television or computer. You may have to go for a long walk. I do not know what the answer will be for you, but I know it must include time with God or you will attempt to formulate this life map under your own power.

            2. Identify and understand your giftedness. In Romans 12:6 we learn that, “we have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.” Notice who gives you these gifts—God. We don’t get to choose, we are not given a menu at the time of our salvation. And genuine fulfillment comes when we can both identify and understand how God has made us. He would never gift you in one way and then lead your life in a totally different direction where you would ignore your giftedness.

            When you get to heaven, God is not going to ask you, “Why weren’t you more like Billy Graham?” He’s not going to say, “I wished you had been a better parent like James Dobson.” And He won’t even analyze, “Why weren’t you a greater leader like Moses or Joshua?” He will want to know why you weren’t more like He created you to be, and for which you had the potential to be. But instead you got sidetracked into the Rat Race through apathy, fear, distractions, or any of the number of other of life’s detours.

            3. Review your past history and experiences. Do you realize that God will use your circumstance and your problem to help others who are struggling with the same pain? Speaking of God, Paul writes 2 Corinthians 1:4, “[He] comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.” Even as you read this passage, God probably brought to mind something in your past that He allowed to happen, so that you could use it to help others. Don’t be afraid of your past; use it for God’s glory.

            4. Determine your priorities. You will not have time for everything. You think you do, but you don’t. So there will be a definite need to prioritize if you ever plan to discover your life map.  You do this by asking yourself, “What should I be doing that is going to have eternal implications?” Jesus gives us the answer in Matthew 6:20, “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy.”

            Apart from Almighty God and His redemptive plan, there are only two things that are going to last forever—God’s Word and God’s people. I must pour myself into learning and growing in my Bible understanding. I must recognize that how I spend my time now may determine where my family, friends, and associates will be spending their eternity. Regardless of your profession, your educational goals, the place where you choose to live, if you are a child of God, your life map will include the Bible and people.

            My personal life map is shaped by three distinct desires. First, I desire to be a man of God and to serve Him with a joy and enthusiasm that is contagious to the people around me. Second, I want to raise a godly family, in which Nancy, my wife, feels love and security, and our kids and grandkids sense support and encouragement. Lastly, I choose to invest my life in the ministry. There are many vocations that I have admired and studied, but I’ll never forget what my brother-in-law said to me over two decades ago, “Glen, if God wants you in the ministry and you don’t, you’ll be miserable.” Jack, you were right. So at the end of my life, when I stand before the Lord of Lords, I too will be able to say, ‘I was not disobedient to the vision You gave me.”

            O.K. You’re convinced. You’ve decided that you need a life map, but you also may be thinking, I’ve already lived a goodly portion of my life without one. Isn’t it too late now to change? How do I go about it even if I want to? I feel so trapped where I am. I’ve already blown it, haven’t I? Not so! With God all things are possible. He’s just been waiting for you to recognize the need to factor Him into your life. He’s eagerly awaiting your step of turning your life over to Him, and letting His Spirit direct you.

 

On the journey with you,

Pastor Glen

 

 

 

 

 

            Some people handle their personal pain by isolating themselves. Others on the fast track use their personal pace as a sedative. They keep so busy that they have no time for other people or to think about their own perceived inadequacies or past failures. They hope that what they accomplish today will offset any weaknesses or past problems.

 

Read the rest of this entry…

 

            Although accomplished in their field, people who fail to heed this warning sign find that the people around them are neglected and anticipating “second best.” Don’t get me wrong, this concept is not gender relative. Husbands and wives both can become “wedded to work.” Men and women can become too busy for their partners and friends. Socializing takes a back seat to the tension to get ahead or just caught up. So how strained are your relationships?

 

 

 

Our Need for Community

 

            At the core of every person is a deep need for community. Strained relationships are the signs of a life that is headed for or trapped in the Rat Race. Strained relationships build barriers between friends and family. Strained relationships create exclusiveness and individualism. But you were designed by God to desire to be with other people, to need to belong and be accepted by others. But not all relationships are on the same level. That is what community is all about. There are different levels of friendship.

1. There are activity-based friendships. These relationships are founded upon common activities such as shopping, raising kids, hobbies, or even studying. This level of friendship is necessary, but does not necessarily mean that the other person knows the “real you.”
2. A second kind of friendships is what I call historical friendships. These are the people with whom we have been connected for many years, maybe even as far back as our youth. The intimacy level never goes very deep because the tie with them is merely a common background, not authenticity and openness.
3. Professional friendships make up the third category. These include your work associates, other parents at your child’s school, and those people in your life with whom contact will only occur when a task must be accomplished. There probably will never be a need to reveal feelings or inner struggles in such settings because the project at hand is more the focus than are the people.
4. Community friendships are a primary way by which to learn how to develop other relationships in our life. With the help of a rich pool of community friendships, we have a basis on which to work out our insecurities and fears, and we can gather the strength, love, and support that is necessary to develop new friends. With this type of fellowship, we can carry out the same healing attributes with parents, mates, children coworkers and even the strangers with whom we will have contact every day of our lives.           

 

How can you develop community friendships?

 

1.  Challenge yourself and others to grow. Paul wrote the church in Ephesus and told them, “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Eph. 4:1). The challenge? Grow into the men and women God wants us to be.

2.  Share your confidence in others. Life runs more smoothly when others show confidence in us. Remember how our Lord did this with Peter? “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt. 16:18). Peter…a rock? Not the Peter I read about. Peter only opened his mouth long enough to exchange feet. He was impulsive, not an immovable rock. But our Lord’s confidence extended far beyond Peter’s struggles and failings. Our Lord knew that it would be Peter who would deny Him three times. And yet this frail, unimpressive man would be entrusted by the Son of God with a major role in the early Christian church. When you talk with others, see their potential, not just their problem areas. Anticipate something good in their lives and convey your confidence in them.

            3.  Make encouragement a priority. How Paul needed encouragement from Barnabas, “the Son of Encouragement!” Can you imagine the shattered image Paul must have had of himself when he finally realized the truth about who Jesus is? It was bad enough that he had rejected Jesus, let alone that he had actively sought out believers and brought them to Jerusalem to be mocked, often tortured and then killed. Barnabas took Paul under his wing, introducing him to other believers and sticking up for him when Paul had yet to prove the truth of his changed ways. God alone knows how different church history might have been had Barnabas not been there to encourage Paul to be the leader he was to become.

            4.  Correct others lovingly. There will be times when you will need to lovingly build up people while correcting them; our Lord did. In Mark 9, Jesus had just come down from the Mount of Transfiguration where Peter, James, and John had seen Jesus in His glorified state. Coming to the base of the mountain, they must have seen the other disciples huddled together and arguing with other people. Evidently the disciples had tried in vain to cast a demon from a boy who was having seizures. Jesus told them to bring the boy to Him and He cast the demon from the boy. When asked by the disciples why they couldn’t drive the demon out, Jesus replied, “ ‘This kind can come out only by prayer’ ” (Mark 9:29). Our Lord confronted their unbelief and dependence on personal achievement and abilities. Jesus turned an embarrassing event into a teachable moment…with loving correction.

            5.  Accept people the way God has accepted you. God has made many different personality types. Each type responds to situations differently. When we try to change the way God has made people, and try to make them fit the type we are, we can mess things up. Let God be God and you be the human being who makes “every effort to live in peace with all men” (Heb. 12:14).

            6.  Have more fun. The term “lighten up” is tailor-made for Rat Racers. Friends spend time together doing things that bring them joy. Adding spontaneity and trying to bring joy to someone else are just two of the many ways we can add fun to our relationships.

            7.  Relax. The statement, “I feel guilty when I relax” had to be coined by a Rat Race participant. Doctors tell us that relaxation is crucial to our well being. God not only instituted a day of rest but modeled it for us. “By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done” (Genesis 2:2-3).

            8.  Be patient with others. The word patience in the New Testament means to have a long fuse. Patience is the ability to see that people, problems, and situations are not always the way you would like them to be, but everything will be all right as you trust in Christ to work all things together for good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).

            9.  Empathize, don’t criticize. Making allowances for others will become easier if you can learn to put yourself in another’s place. Most of us misunderstand empathy. Some perceive empathy as our ability to carry everyone else’s problems. Others see it as an intense withdrawal from life in search of a more sensitive you. Empathy is merely the ability to put yourself in other person’s shoes, to see the world through their eyes, to genuinely feel what they may be feeling.

            10.  Repair hurting relationships. People caught in the Rat Race can wreak havoc on the people around them. Their nit-picking, pessimistic attitudes cause much unwarranted stress and pain in their relationships. When one of your relationships is strained, take the initiative to repair it immediately. Talk the problem over with your friend. Seek or give forgiveness where it is needed. Even difficult times can bring growth in ourselves and our relationships.

 

On the journey with you,

Pastor Glen

Remember how great those first days, weeks, even years were with the Lord? The times with Him in Bible reading and prayer were so special. Whatever happened to them? The Rat Race—that’s what happened. We’ve gotten caught up in the hurry, the pressures, and stress of life. Relationships, as we will soon see, have gotten strained, and our excitement about the Lord has drained out as the pressures and concerns have flowed in.

The urgent has become a tyrant and our priorities have gotten confused. Our once strong desire to be with the Lord and enjoyment with Him have become dulled, uninteresting, and at times, (we are embarrassed to admit) almost a burden. Why? Because we have allowed our love for Him to be “choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures…” (Luke 8:14).

The following quiz will help you see how far you have gone down the road away from your First Love.

Answer “yes” or “no.”


Part of the reason we drift away from the Lord is because we let our times of prayer and Bible study fall behind. We let other things press in on us and steal our close relationship with the Lord. We are often more focused on ourselves, our problems, and our needs than we are on the Lord. We can get on a lukewarm path without even realizing it. So how do we get back on the right path?



Return to Your First Love



One day the disciples made a significant request of Jesus: “Teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). How strange. We all know how to pray, don’t we? But how many of us know how to do miracles? Why didn’t Jesus’ disciples ask to be taught how to perform miracles, how to heal, or how to cast out demons? If I were there, I might have asked how to be more like Jesus or how to preach with greater power. If prayer is as simple as most seem to think it is, why make such a request? Wouldn’t that be tantamount to asking to be taught to eat or sleep?

The answer lies in the life of Jesus. He valued prayer. He modeled it. He lived a life above reproach and with great power. In fact, His disciples had come to realize a crucial truth—prayer was foundational to all Jesus was and all Jesus did. Jesus was a man of prayer. It saturated everything He did. Jesus prayed as a way of life, not just occasionally. He prayed early in the morning, late at night, all night, during the day, and even while He ministered to people. He “said grace” for His food and the food multiplied.

The power and impact of Jesus’ prayer life was not lost on the disciples then or on many believers since. They have all realized that if they really know how to pray, then the results in their own lives and ministries will have much of the miraculous quality that Jesus’ life displayed.

A modern-day example is the prayer-saturated life of George Mueller who constantly saw marvelous and often miraculous answers to prayer. Mueller ran many orphanages in the 1900s. When he needed land to build an orphanage but had no money, he wasn’t fazed. He simply prayed until God miraculously provided it. Mueller was always praying for food for his orphanages. They never missed a meal. Once when they had nothing to eat, he returned thanks for the food, believing God would answer his prayer to supply all their needs. Just then a truck loaded with perishable food broke down in front of his door.

I can just hear you say, “Sure, Jesus could do this; He was God. But what about me? How can I avoid the Rat Race? It seems so inevitable. How can I return to my first love?” The following nine principles should help you do just that. They are designed to follow the example of Jesus and help you make prayer more alive and relevant to your life.

1. See prayer as a time of developing a close relationship with a wonderful, desirable person who is eager to have such a relationship. In James 4:8, the Lord says to draw near to Him and He will draw near to you. Expect to learn more about God or to start feeling deeper things towards Him.

2. Understand that this prayer time is helping develop spiritual maturity and fine tuning your spiritual life.

3. Know that prayer is your life line to success in your race. Prayer will help set your course straight for the day and help you receive input from your wise Coach.

4. Make prayer your highest priority.

5. Determine that your time in prayer will be enjoyable and that you will come away with something of value. Because the Word is a vital part of the prayer process, when you pray, ask the Lord to show you one meaningful truth for your life from your Bible reading. The Psalms, Proverbs, and Paul’s letters are gold mines for promises that will encourage you for the day.

6. Recognize that prayer makes your day go better and helps you impact people positively.

7. See prayer as a wonderful problem solver and a way of positively influencing circumstances and people in a way that you could not do so alone.

8. Use variety to keep your prayer life fresh. Pray for family and immediate concerns each day. Whenever possible, start out and close your time with praise and thanksgiving. These help keep your eyes on the Lord to show you that He is quite capable of doing in your life what needs to be done. Draw from the Scriptures to enhance your prayer times. Pray Scripture back to the Lord, agreeing with the concepts and, when appropriate, telling Him how this applies to your life and what you are currently facing.

9. When you are in a time of crisis, stop and pray. If you can, get alone and away from distraction. We see Jesus doing this in Luke 5:16 and John 6:15.

In the final analysis, many people who are caught in the Rat Race are living their lives for themselves. At times, they will consult the Lord to see what he wants, but even then it is with the view that they will go His way only if that seems best in their eyes. In stark contrast is Jesus who says, “…I seek not to please myself but him who sent me” (John 5:30). By following the above nine principles, you should be able to make your prayer life dynamic and a time of refreshing and refuge from the pressures of the Rat Race. Learn to follow as your model, using prayer as a key part of avoiding the many traps of life.

On the journey with you,

Pastor Glen

Warning Sign #4 - Perfectionism

My wife has perfectionist tendencies and often feels like a card-carrying member of the Rat Race. Perfectionists are ruthless in self-evaluation. Their inner drive can be depressing for both themselves and others as they continually push to set and achieve higher standards. At the very core of this warning sign is an innate fear of failure and rejection. The main problem for the perfectionist is the inability to distinguish between the “I should’s” and the “I could’s.” Overuse of the words “should” or “ought” drive into you the inability to meet your own standards. Your self-esteem then plummets.

Here are twelve statements to help you see how much of a perfectionist you are.

Answer “yes” or “no.”

1. I can’t sit through even a half hour TV show without getting up to do something during the commercials. 2. I have to look at many selections before buying the “right” gift. 3. When I listen to a sermon, I easily pick up on grammatical mistakes. 4. I can’t stand a messy desk or work space. 5. I often find it takes a long time to finish a project because I keep thinking of new ways to improve it. 6. I am always straightening up after family members, even when they are not finished with the item. 7. I can often think of a better way to do something than the way someone else did it. 8. It takes me a long time to decide what to wear to special occasions. 9. I walk into a room and notice if a picture on the wall is crooked. 10. When I got a “B” on a test, I felt my world was crashing in on me. 11. I never start anything I know I can’t do well. 12. It drives me up a wall to see the greeting cards out of place in the store, so I straighten them.

What if every area of your life is caught in the “all-or-nothingism” of the perfectionist’s thinking? What if you have reduced your life to a system of black-and-white polar opposites, so that either all is well in your world or nothing is? What if you must achieve complete success -- a piece of work flawlessly executed, a relationship with no conflicts in it, your personal best in every race, an “A” on every test? If you are caught in this endless trap of tunnel vision, blaming and shoulds, musts and have-tos, there is only one way you will ever get out of it. You need to stop and spend time alone with God in prayer and meditate on what He shows you.

Put Aside Perfectionism There will probably be several areas, in which you will want to seek God’s input. We will look at four common ones. 1. Establish your priorities. Sometimes we get so caught up in our perfectionist ways that we neglect critical areas of our lives. When we get out of balance in any of the following five priorities, we are in trouble. By bringing them back into God’s perspective and balance, we can often intercept the perfectionist tendencies that may be there because we are weak in one or more of these areas:

Spiritual Health. We need to have quality time with the Lord. This means that if we are not regularly praying and reading the Word we well may find ourselves trying to compensate by doing things for God, pushing ourselves to accomplish things that please Him. Too often we buy into the Enemy lie that the things we do for God are the most important things. Spending time with Him can sometimes seem less important than our witnessing, teaching a Bible study, or serving on committees. The visible becomes more valuable in our minds than the less visible. But God’s priorities are exactly the opposite. He wants us to spend time with Him so we can in turn be and do what He wants. We have to grow in Him to stay spiritually healthy.

Emotional Health. Oftentimes, we try to get our self-worth from the wrong source—accomplishments. When we feel uncertain about our acceptance before God or with others, we can get caught in the trap of performance, which leads to perfectionism. What we need to do is to know who we are in Christ. There are many wonderful statements in Scripture telling us just that. For example, “for he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight” (Eph. 1:4). We are dearly loved (John 3:16) and highly valued according to the parables Jesus tells about the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price (Matt. 13:44-46).

Another misconception in the area of emotional health is that we have to be perfect in order for God to be pleased with us. But if we will look at Ephesians 1:6 (KJV) we read that we are “accepted in the beloved.” This acceptance is not because of what we do but rather because of who Jesus is and the fact that we are in Him if we have invited Him into our lives as Lord and Savior. Therefore even perfectionists can and should be willing to risk falling short of perfection when they attempt to do what the Lord has asked them to do. Emotionally, it is very helpful to keep our eyes on Jesus, do what He asks, and not worry about the results. Leave the results in His hands. When we do this, we free ourselves from many traps of the Enemy such as worrying about what others think, or beating up on ourselves when we don’t measure up to perfection.

Social Health. People need to be made a higher priority than things. Perfectionists too often strain relationships by demanding the same high standards of others as they do themselves. Just as emotionally we have to see and accept ourselves as God sees and accepts us, so also we have to let others be imperfect and make mistakes. In other words, we have to give others the same permission to be less than perfect that God gives us. If we don’t, we will end up alienating people.

Intellectual Health. God has given each of us one or more abilities. But as with any talent, it takes time to develop the skills necessary to do well in an area in which we are gifted. Fear of failure can cause perfectionists to lose out on much that God wants them to do because they are not willing to take risks and be seen as less than perfect.

2. Seek the Lord’s help in dealing with perfectionism. Begin by identifying those areas in which you are a perfectionist. Then ask the Lord to show you why you are a perfectionist. Are you insecure, fearful, trying to please, wanting a sense of accomplishment and meaning? After you identify the sources of your perfectionism, ask God to help you overcome them. Share your discoveries with your spouse or a trusted friend and enlist their help as you try to overcome. 3. Learn to relax. One of the things that is crucial in avoiding the pressures of the Rat Race is to free your mind from the anxieties of the day. I have a “dump tree” which serves this purpose. It is a large tree overhanging a stop sign on the way home. Each day, as I drive past that tree on my way home, I mentally “dump” all the concerns of the day at the base of the tree. The next day as I return to church, I “pick them up” as I pass by the tree. Part of being able to cope well with life is to get enough rest. When we are tired, we become inefficient. We need to learn to pace ourselves, even to schedule rest and recreation in order to avoid the tyranny of perfectionism. 4. Admit that you are not God. When we decide to take control of our lives -- to play God -- we often find that God has to let us come to the end of our rope, to have to cry out to Him, before we will turn loose and let Him once again be in control. There is only one God and we cannot usurp His place! We need to learn how to keep from putting yourselves in the place of God, how to let Him lead us, and how to draw closer to Him so we can avoid all Enemy traps to lure us away from His will for our lives.

On the journey with you, Pastor Glen