Category: Contemplations

A rotten trick…and how to really enjoy pleasure

Satan plays a rotten trick on us when it comes to the lust of the flesh. The pleasure looks so tantalizing, so relieving, so good from a distance. The climax of elation is actually in the approach, the prelude. Even as I am taking the first bite of that fruit, the pleasure diminishes. By the time I’ve swallowed, the pleasure has vanished and regret overtakes me suddenly. (Can I get a witness?) At least to me, pleasure is inversely proportional to proximity.

The beauty of pleasure that we receive while we are rightly related to Christ is that, when the rush is over, he is right there in front of us, smiling. (Maybe asking us, “How’d you like it?”) There is no void, because the Source of the pleasure is with us, and he will never leave us or forsake us. The constancy of God’s love redeems the rush of pleasure, and we can look back on it the next day and say, “That was a good thing.” It will not have vanished. Praise be to God for the times he’s given me this far superior joy!

It’s like two men going out to a bar to drink, one because he’s alone and lonely, the other with friends to have a relaxing evening with them. The first is drinking to try and meet the need, the other is drinking because the need is met. When we are experiencing them with Jesus, pleasures become truly pleasant.

Is it something I did?

And that question raises another question.  If the message of Jesus is that God is offering the free gift of eternal life through him – a gift we cannot earn by our own efforts, works, or good deeds – and all we have to do is accept and confess and believe, aren’t those verbs?

And aren’t verbs actions?

Accepting, confessing, believing –  those are things we do.

Does that mean, then, that going to heaven is dependent on something I do?
– Rob Bell, Love Wins

Bell is throwing his semantics around a little generously. Yes, those verbs express action. However, they do not express initiation. In every case, these are responsive actions. They are the “polo” to some “marco.” Notice that they are all transitive, unless the object is implied from context. (“I accept” [your proposal].) That’s because these actions imply some other force previously working on the subject.

My going to heaven is dependent on something I do in the same way that raffles often stipulate, “Must be present to win.” In other words, although I have no control over whether my name is drawn, I do have control over whether I get the prize. I could forfeit if I left too early.

So yes, it is imperative that I contribute to my salvation–responsively–but no one would say that my salvation is due to me, any more than they would say, “Oh, how good of Ben, he stayed in the room so well that he won the raffle!”

The carving out of the riverbed

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD;
he turns it wherever he will.
-Proverbs 21:1

“God’s sovereignty is inescapable.”
“But it does not remove from us the responsibility of choosing what is right.”
This is an oft-heard exchange in Christendom. How can the both be true?

Let me bring in another baffling phenomenon to attempt an answer. The Proverbs often make a seemingly redundant connection between righteous people and righteous behavior, and unrighteous people and unrighteous behavior. Verses like this one seem unnecessary.

The way of a guilty man is crooked, but as for the pure, his conduct is upright.
-Proverbs 21:8

What’s the point of this verse? I suggest, to express the fusion between deeds and identity. The Bible places the responsibility of behavior on man alone–we all choose how we act. And this conduct works backwards onto our character, gradually shaping us to become who we act like we are.

It’s like a stream’s course. God turns the stream wherever he will, but the stream itself, by the continual effect it has on the ground on which it runs, eventually carves out banks and sinks down below ground level. It makes its own riverbed.

“Who carved that path for the stream?”

Answer 1: The forces of gravity and the surrounding terrain. (God’s sovereignty and our circumstances.)
Answer 2: The stream itself.

Both are true.

Thus God is sovereign, yet still, our conduct is the force that shapes who we become.

Proverbs in three words

Chapter 19
(See February 2010 for chapters 20 and 27)

1 Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity
than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool.
[ Integrity > advancement. ]

2 Desire without knowledge is not good,
and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.
[ Do your research. ]

3 When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin,
his heart rages against the LORD.
[ Fools blame God. ]

4 Wealth brings many new friends,
but a poor man is deserted by his friend….
6 Many seek the favor of a generous man,
and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
[ Money brings popularity. ]

5 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will not escape….
9 A false witness will not go unpunished,
and he who breathes out lies will perish.
[Lies follow you.]

7 All a poor man’s brothers hate him;
how much more do his friends go far from him!
He pursues them with words, but does not have them.
[ Poverty isn’t attractive. ]

8 Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;
he who keeps understanding will discover good.
[ Wisdom is healthy. ]

10 It is not fitting for a fool to live in luxury,
much less for a slave to rule over princes.
[ Authority shouldn’t exceed power. ]*4 words

11 Good sense makes one slow to anger,
and it is his glory to overlook an offense.
[ Calmness isn’t passivity. ]

12 A king’s wrath is like the growling of a lion,
but his favor is like dew on the grass.
[Leaders’ moods matter.]

13 A foolish son is ruin to his father,
and a wife’s quarreling is a continual dripping of rain.
[Family relationships. Crucial.]

14 House and wealth are inherited from fathers,
but a prudent wife is from the LORD.
[She’s a divine gift.] *3 content words

15 Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
and an idle person will suffer hunger.
[Up, or starve!]

16 Whoever keeps the commandment keeps his life;
he who despises his ways will die.
[Mind your behavior.]

17 Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will repay him for his deed.
[Charity is investment.]

18 Discipline your son, for there is hope;
do not set your heart on putting him to death.
[ Spanking = lesser evil.]

19 A man of great wrath will pay the penalty,
for if you deliver him, you will only have to do it again.
[ Anger ensnares consistently. ]

20 Listen to advice and accept instruction,
that you may gain wisdom in the future….
27 Cease to hear instruction, my son,
and you will stray from the words of knowledge.
[ Improvement requires humility. ]

21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man,
but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand.
[ Your plans? Hah! ]

22 What is desired in a man is steadfast love,
and a poor man is better than a liar.
[ Love’s what matters. ]

23 The fear of the LORD leads to life,
and whoever has it rests satisfied;
he will not be visited by harm.
[ Reverence brings rest. ]

24 The sluggard buries his hand in the dish
and will not even bring it back to his mouth.
[ Finish it, bum. ]

25 Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence;
reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge.
[ Hard/easy way ]

26 He who does violence to his father and chases away his mother
is a son who brings shame and reproach.
[Cherish your parents.]

28 A worthless witness mocks at justice,
and the mouth of the wicked devours iniquity.
[Justice is broccoli to the wicked.] *3 content words
[…and iniquity is pizza]

29 Condemnation is ready for scoffers,
and beating for the backs of fools.
[You get what’s coming.] *3 content words

“I need help.”

If we’re smart, all of us will say this at least once in our lives. Even bad guys need help from worse guys on how to be effectively bad. (Teach me your thievery tricks, O Artful Dodger.) When it comes to faith, the question is not, “Do I feel like I need help?” A sense of “needing help” may not be all that God is looking for–he is looking for helplessness. Let me illustrate:

Story 1: Karate trainer. An impotent boy is bullied by the neighborhood boys and comes home bruised and ashamed every day. Finally, weeping on the street, he encounters an old martial arts master, who agrees to teach him the secrets of ancient combat. After many grueling months of training, including seemingly pointless tasks like “wax on, wax off”, strange concentration exercises, and rigorous physical training, the trainer transforms stringy-armed boy into a fighting machine who defeats the bullies in a national fighting championship, winning the gold and humiliating his old opponents!

Story 2: Coast Guard rescuer. While at sea, a large fishing boat is caught and a storm and run onto the rocks. It begins filling with water. The fishermen climb to the highest deck and call for Coast Guard assistance. A boat soon arrives and they board, when they realize one fisherman is not accounted for. One brave rescue officer rejects the advice of his superiors and plunges back onto the almost-sunk boat. Buffeted by huge waves, he nevertheless descends into the lower decks and finds the missing sailor, unconscious and bleeding from the head. He heaves the man onto his back and makes the escape. With medical attention on the Coast Guard ship, the sailor regains consciousness and his shipmates rejoice, thanking the rescuer!

Now, both stories involve someone helping someone else. But the difference between them is evident: in the karate story, the final glory rests on the helped person, not the helper. The trainer is not in the spotlight at the end of the story, because he has only helped to unleash the boys own inner potential. In the coastguard story, the opposite is true: the final glory rests on the helper, not the helped person. It was the inner potential of the rescuer, not the sailor, that won the day.

All faiths of the world affirm that we need “karate training.” None but the Way of Jesus affirms that we are “unconscious” and in need of saving. God gets all the final glory in the Christian story; man shares the final glory in every other account of the universe. The beauty of Christianity is that it’s not a matter of how hard we work to get victory–we awake (like the sailor) to find the victory done for us already! It’s not about assistance, it’s about rescue.

What kind of help do I seek from God? The help of a martial art master, or the help of a coast guard rescuer?

Ephesians 2:4-7

Is world missions your obligation?

My church basically answered, “Yes” in our sermon on Sunday. I’d like to qualify that.

World missions is not every Christian’s obligation. To live a missional lifestyle — now that is imperative. Jesus is on mission, the ministry of reconciliation, and we have been given the ministry of reconcilation (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). That means we are to live our lives continually seeking how we may connect those we encounter every day with the One from whom we get life and meaning. We should be ambitious about living our “neighbor” relationships in love, remembering the second greatest commandment is “like the first.”

What it does not mean is that every believer should go overseas in “world missions” or international missions. Not even on a short term trip. It doesn’t even mean that our homefront activities, like financial giving or promotional effort, are best spent targeting unreached people. Paul’s obligation to preach to those who have not already heard (Romans 15:20) was particular to him, not a precedent for everyone. He was set apart by the Holy Spirit from the rest of the elders of the church (Acts 13:2-4). He gives general commands for Christian behavior that seem incompatible with itinerant life (1 Thess. 4:11).

The bottom line is that the Body of Christ as a whole is tasked with reaching every tribe and tongue. We, the collective, are under obligation. As individuals our obligation is only to be open to how the Lord wants us to use our spiritual (and monetary) gifts as integrated into the function of the church at large, while bearing in mind that one of the main functions of the church is expanding itself into unreached places.

All are not hands, and all are not noses, nor eyes. We cannot make the blanket statement that we are all obligated to conduct world missions. Only let every part of the body remember what the activity of the body is, and do everything it can to contribute. After all, we are one body, with one head, even Christ.

Slain in the Spirit: a search of the scriptures

Biblical instances of falling when encountering the Spirit

OLD TESTAMENT

Genesis 17:1-3
When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless. I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.” Abram fell facedown, and God said to him

Daniel 8:15-18
While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there before me stood one who looked like a man. And I heard a man’s voice from the Ulai calling, “Gabriel, tell this man the meaning of the vision.”
As he came near the place where I was standing, I was terrified and fell prostrate. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision concerns the time of the end.” While he was speaking to me, I was in a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me and raised me to my feet.

Daniel 10:7-11
I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; the men with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.
A hand touched me and set me trembling on my hands and knees. He said, “Daniel, you who are highly esteemed, consider carefully the words I am about to speak to you, and stand up, for I have now been sent to you.” And when he said this to me, I stood up trembling.

Ezekiel 1:28-2:1
This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking. He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

Ezekiel 3:22-24
The hand of the Lord was upon me there, and he said to me, “Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to you.” So I got up and went out to the plain. And the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. Then the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet. He spoke to me and said: “Go, shut yourself inside your house.

[Repeat occurrences in Ezekiel 43 and 44.]

NEW TESTAMENT

Matthew 17:4-8
Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”
When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

Revelation 1:17
When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last.

Instances that have been cited but are invalid 

1. In Genesis 15:12-13, Abraham “falls into a deep sleep” but nothing about his posture is mentioned.

2. In Joshua 5:13, Joshua “falls facedown” before the commander of the army of the Lord (an angel), but this is a deliberate act of obeisance.

3. In 2 Chronicles 5:13-14, “the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.”

  • “Could” — h3201 יכל yakol – “be able to”
  • “Not stand” — h5975 עמד `amad –“ to stand, remain, endure, take one’s stand”

This bears the connotation of “not being able to continue” and is too ambiguous to be interpreted as an act of literally falling. (They would have remained in the temple, had they fallen, anyway.)

4. In John 18:6 and Acts 9:3-4, it is unbelievers who do the falling. This rules out any interpretation as being filled with the Holy Spirit. (Unless we say that unbelievers can be filled with the Holy Spirit.)


Contrast of Biblical instances with modern “slaying in the Spirit”

Characteristics of Biblical instances
In all legitimate Biblical instances of falling in the Spirit, we notice some common factors.
1. The presence of an angel, or the manifest presence of God Himself.
2. A sense of overwhelming terror causing the falling.
3. The amelioration of the terror by the angel/God.
4. An accompanying vision or revelation, of great import and benefit of others.
To my knowledge, with the occasional exception of (4), all of these are absent from modern experiences of being slain in the spirit.

Characteristics of Modern Slaying in the Spirit
To my knowledge, modern experiences of being slain in the spirit are characterized by the following.
1. A man or woman acts as the channel for God’s power and causes the falling.
2. There is a sense of euphoria, or joyful enlightenment.
3. (Often, not always): There is healing associated with the experience.
All of these are absent from Biblical instances of falling when encountering the Spirit in some way.

I conclude that, although there are some instances of “falling” generally, there is no Biblical precedence for the kind of behavior that occurs in modern-day “slaying in the spirit.”

Implications
Is it wrong, then? Lacking a Biblical precedent does not automatically make being slain in the Spirit wrong or sinful. “All things are permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12). How should we handle it, then?

Acknowledge Its Periphery
I suggest that, first, it should be acknowledged that it is in no way a requisite for a true spiritual encounter with God. In other words, it’s “extra” at best, and not something that should be actively encouraged as a staple of the Christian life. Believers who do not experience being “slain in the Spirit” are not “missing out.”

Exercise Caution
It is widely known that many frauds and fakes exist who “slay in the spirit.” The Apostle John tells us, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). We ought to exercise the utmost caution when dealing with it.

Keep Christ Exalted
Any cases of slaying in the spirit that cause a man (the minister doing the channeling) to be exalted above Christ should be condemned. The late Reverend Larry Thomas wrote:
There is no record in the Bible of anyone falling under the power of the Spirit when the apostles, or the Lord Himself, prayed for them or laid hands on them. Who was more full of the Holy Ghost than Jesus, the Son of God? It borders on blasphemy, in my opinion, for anyone to claim to have an anointing with power beyond that which Christ Himself had….The baptism of the Holy Ghost is not something that can be passed on by breathing on or laying hands on someone. Jesus is still the Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. He has not given that honored position to mankind and certainly not to any one man.

Do Not Rejoice in Spiritual Power
It is good to get excited about a spiritual experience! However, we can focus on Jesus giving us the experience, instead of focus on the experience giving us Jesus. The Holy Spirit always serves to lift up Christ (John 15:26, 16:14). If the gospel—the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ as the propitiation for our sins and our new life—if that is utilized for another end, we have distorted things. As it says in Luke 10:17-20:
The seventy-two returned with joy and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” He replied, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Father, guide us into all truth.
John 16:13

Monopoly: me edition

Titus 2:13-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldliness and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.

I love how this passage couches our salvation in the past, present and future. We have a future hope in the appearing of Christ, we are waiting for Him. We depend on his sacrifice on the cross, that he has redeemed us. And we are living righteously in the present age as he buys our every deed back from the evil one and purifies us as his own.

In particular I like how he gave himself for us…why?…for the purpose of redeeming us from every lawless deed and purifying us. Every time the fork is in the road to “be zealous” for a good deed or an evil one, may the Spirit he has given remind me, “This decision has been purchased.” Jesus has a monopoly on my life. He has purchased every “deed” as his own possession.

Praise be to Him that he paid the price.