3 Games

Like many of you we met with family, indulged in much food and little activity today. The extent of our exercise included finding a chair to watch a funny show or finding a chair at the table to play a game. We engaged in three games today of which you may be familiar.

In the game called Loaded Questions the questioner posed a question to all, which led to 11 hidden responses around the room. The anonymous responses were quoted for the questioner who was to guess what response went with what person. Your score depended on one thing: How well do you know others in the room?

In the game called Like Minds two were paired up. A phrase was posed and the answers between the pairs were to match and points were awarded for each one that did. Again, your objective was to come up with quick responses, yet try to determine what your teammate might be thinking. Your score depended on one thing: How well do you know another in the room?

The final game we played called Moods was somewhat theatrical. 9 different moods were displayed on cards in front of all. One person per turn would quote a given phrase in one of the 9 moods unbeknown to the entire group. Points were awarded to you for your performance by those around you who could identify the exact mood you had acted. Points were also awarded to those who properly identified your mini-drama. Your score depended partially on this thing: How well do you know others in the room?

I must admit that I failed miserably. I did not fail because I lost some of the games, but in one sense I did. I failed because my overall outlook toward others is lacking at best. We are not concerned with much more than the obvious when it comes to family and friends! To our credit Christmas is the only time we see particular family members who we have not seen or heard from during the year. But honestly, this fact did not satisfy my disgust in my personal selfishness. It is easy to be consumed with one person in the our lives – the one in the mirror – the one we look for every time we look at a picture – the one we pray about – the one we feed – the one whose name we look for in our peripheral under the tree – the one we go to the mailbox for – the one we love the most!

Here’s what Scripture says:

James 3:14-15

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.

Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil.

Gal 5:19-20

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,

Prov 18:1

An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment.

Lord, help us to obey these next verses:

Phil 2:2-4

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Ps 119:36

Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.

I have not given you practical helps because I am considering what they might be for myself. Help me by responding with you practical ideas and I will post a follow up blog.

David

What Idolatry Truly Is

I have just started reading Isaiah in my daily reading and am loving it! Yesterday I read chapter 2 and learned a great deal about what idolatry truly is. God said this concerning His people: "Their land is filled with idols." (v.8) He then goes on to name all their idols. What I noticed is that the sin of idolatry is associated, in God's eyes, with the sin of pride. Actually what I saw in this chapter is that they are basically one in the same. I would define idolatry as "exalting something or someone in place of God." I would define pride as "exalting self above all else." It is clear that God is condemning the pride of Israel as you read of at least 15 phrases that speak of man exalting himself above God such as these:

• "haughty looks of man"
• "lofty pride of men"
• "haughtiness of man"
• "lifted up"
• "uplifted hills"
• "high tower"

God is speaking of the future "day of the Lord" and says 2 awesome things. Two times He says, "the Lord alone will be exalted in that day", as opposed to man being exalted. Then He says, "In that day mankind will cast away their idols", linking pride with idolatry.

The end of this chapter is phenomenal! He says, "Stop regarding man." I believe He is saying to stop exalting self. "For of what account(value) is he(man)?" God is not saying that man has no value, but that, compared to Him, we are not that valuable to be "lifted high". This thinking will help us in deciding each day who we will exalt. Will we exalt self, "in whose nostrils is breath"? Or will we exalt God, who has "splendor of majesty"?

What I have learned about idolatry is that my idol is actually me. We tend to say that our idols are things outside ourselves such as money, sex, stuff, our jobs, family, etc. These, I believe are simply outward manifestations of who our idol truly is, who we are exalting above God. Our idol is self which would also be pride. I once read a great book by Jim Berg in which he said that our daily choice is "pleasing God or pleasing self". I understand what he meant but I don't like that expression because it can mislead some to think that there is no pleasure in serving and pleasing God. I think the daily choice is actually this: Exalt God or exalt self.

Please pray for me bro., that I may "stop regarding man(self)" daily and exalt our GREAT GOD!

James

The Jealous God

I've arrived at chapter 17 in Packer's book Knowing God. Immediately I think about jealousy in my own life and cannot seem to marry that word anywhere with God! Jealousy as defined by me is very similar to coveting. I want what someone has or more specifically I want to be where someone is or in the position of prominence that they hold. The result of this attitude is inner bitterness and anger and an attempt to do everything I can to attain to my desirable results.

Personal illustration: Recently I went hunting with a friend. We were both in a tree stand with equal opportunity, but he had the nice gun and the prime spot for deer. On top of that - he has already shot several deer this year - which means he will only shoot if something with big horns comes through. Meanwhile in my head I am in the tree, low to the ground, in a new spot, with a gun that is not designed to shoot deer. You already know where my mind went when we came out of the woods and I found out he had seen 5 deer and they were all too small for him to shoot.

Is divine jealousy the same way? Does God react in this way when things "go wrong" on the earth? Packer's question had me captivated: "How can jealousy be a virtue in God when it is a vice in men?"

He poses two facts to answer these questions that are helpful.

1. Biblical statements about God's jealousy are anthropomorphisms - that is, descriptions of God in language drawn from the life of man. He says: "The reason why God uses these terms to speak to us about Himself is that language drawn from our own personal life is the most accurate medium for communicating thoughts about Him that we have."

God uses these words for our better understanding. These words however can stand alone in their meaning with God - apart from the affects of sin that may result from these attitudes in our hearts.

2. There are two sorts of jealousy among men, and only one of them is a vice. Vicious jealousy is an expression of the attitude,'I want what you've got, and I hate you because I haven't got it.'
But there is another sort of jealousy - zeal to protect a love relationship, or to avenge it when broken.

"... He demands from those whom He has loved and redeemed utter and absolute loyalty, and will vindicate His claim by stern action against them if they betray His love by unfaithfulness."

May God help us come to appreciate this jealousy for the love that is woven into it's very fabric. This jealousy is designed for our good and for His name sake. We can view this jealousy as harsh and cruel, but the effect that God has intended is in the very least - the opposite. I love my Savior more today because of His divine jealousy. I am free to relinquish the sinful jealousy of my heart to the righteous impeccable jealousy of God purchased for me in the death of His Son.

DT

Why has God left me here on earth?

Recently I was listening John MacArthur preach and he said something that has stuck in my mind. He said basically that the reason we, as Christians, are still here on earth and not in heaven is primarily to evangelize those who are not Christians. God does not leave us here primarily to worship Him, because we will do it much better in heaven. He does not leave us here to be holy, because we certainly will be much more holy in heaven with our glorified bodies. He leaves us here on earth, because there's still the need to evangelize. We will not evangelize in heaven because we will not need to. Most of this was said by MacArthur. What do you think? Is this primarily the reason that we are still here on earth and therefore, our life's purpose? I think it is.

I have started putting together a purpose statement for my life to keep me focused. Here's what I have so far: I am still alive here on this earth to magnify God and His Son so as to gather more worshipers/God-glorifiers (I'm inventing a new word here). Magnifying Him is not the end but a means to the end. Just as a telescope shows small-looking things as they really are--BIG, so we are to show Christ as He really is (we do our best, at least). As we magnify Christ, some see Him for who He is and some do not. (II Cor. 4:3-4) I believe God has determined to gather worshipers through a certain means which is: God's Word of the cross + Holy Spirit + worshipers like you and me= more worshipers of God. This is ultimately why I am still alive. One other thing that I have thought of is the importance of first being a worshiper of God myself and then also helping other Christians(such as my wife, kids, friends, brothers and sisters at church) to be true worshipers of God, so we can all gather more new worshipers of God.

David, and others who read this, Please tell me what you think. I do not want to waste my life. I want to make each day count for the purpose for which God has granted that day to me. Please pray for me now as well to live this way for His glory.

JT

My Devotions in Romans

By God's grace my intentions are to come to better personal understanding of Romans. I have been in chapter one for two weeks and I am nowhere yet. This passage begins with some definition of the unrighteous proceeded by a wonderful act of grace on God's part to make Himself known to the unrighteous. However, the following list is how the ungodly respond to the glory and beauty of God.

Try to discern what you would do with such a person as this:

Supress the truth in their unrighteousness
They know God
They do not glorify Him as God
They are not thankful, but futile (vain, meaningless conclusions - McArthur)
Foolish dark hearts
Claim to be wise - believe in themselves
Change God's glory into an earthly image
Worship creation instead of the Creator

At this point God gives them over to their debased mind

Lust - Dishonoring their own bodies (unclean)
Exchange the truth of God for a lie
The Lie - There is no God who deserves obedience and glory
Vile passions - Homosexuality/Lesbianism
Try to forget there is a God
Debased minds - "Not passing the test" (worthless metals - discarded for impurity)
Unrighteous
Sexually Immoral
Wicked
Covetous
Malicious
Envious
Produce Strife
Deceivers
Evil-minded
Whisperers (Gossipers)
Backbitters
Haters of God
Violent
Proud
Boasters
Inventors of Evil Things
Disobedient to Parents
Undiscerning
Untrustworthy
Unloving
Unforgiving
Unmerciful
Blatant Rebelliousness (Because they know God -yet do these things)

Pauls logical conclusion to this list is: "those who practice such things are deserving of death..."

May God help us if for one moment we come to believe we are in any way deserving of ANYTHING in this life or the life that is to come. May God help us to bow in humble obedience each day to the authority of our Savior and King! May God help us to communicate the truth in Corinthians that we have "NOTHING that we have not RECEIVED" to our children surrounded by the deep waters of man centered living in the world and in the so called "church". May we acknowledge that the only reason that we don't do the things in this list on a regular basis is because GOD has caused us to not do these things. He has "shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." All of this because on our very best days - we could not keep one of these things to it's fullest of our own free will! God grant us the grace to live off the fuel of this reality!

DT

What Is True "Profit" for the Believer?

I am afraid that my last article may have been misunderstood a bit. I apologize for not being clear in my communication, which is something I am working on improving. In writing about doing good for your own profit, I think I assumed that you knew what I meant by "profit". Since you may not know what I meant, then you may have perceived my article as supporting a very selfish motive for doing good to others. As I have looked over Galatians 6 and its context, God seems to point out to me that we should not weary of doing good to others because "in due season we will reap(profit), if we do not give up."(v. 9) Now the big question is: What kind of profit is God promising? Verse 8 says that "the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap(profit) eternal life." So the profit is eternal life. I don't believe that Paul was saying that if we do good to others, we will gain eternal life, because he was talking about Spirit-led lives which only would apply to believers. I believe the profit of eternal life means that our eternal life/relationship with God and Jesus would become better and more intimate.

If I do good to others seeking to profit eternal life, this is not a selfish motive but a God-glorifying motive. If I do good to others believing it will bring me closer in my relationship with God, this glorifies God and brings me the highest good possible. If I don't do good to others, I will reap(profit) corruption and death in my spiritual life--my life with God. In obeying the guidance of the Spirit, I must believe that it is for my highest profit, or else I will not obey. If I do not obey, I won't profit and God will not be glorified in my life.

As a side note, David and anyone else who reads these blogs, please feel free to completely disagree in love with whatever I write. I cannot grow (as much as I want to) in my communication skills and my daily walk without your exhortations in my life daily. Spiritual edification is one of the reasons for this site, right?

JT

Doing Good to Others for Your Profit

I recently read a booklet by John Piper entitled, "The Dangerous Duty of Delight", in which he challenges us to pursue our delight in God. Excellent and easy read! One of the chapters really caused me to think on some of the verses that I've read recently and what should be our motives when doing good to others. He shares a quote from a popular writer who says: "For the Christian, happiness is never a goal to be pursued. It is always the unexpected surprise of a life of service." Do you agree? Is this truth, according to the Bible? I say no. There are some key issues I would disagree with in this quote. First of all, to say that we shouldn't seek happiness or contentment or joy or pleasure in God (I don't differentiate those) may imply to unbelievers that it may not be available in God. To say that it will be a surprise if happiness is found is to say that it may or may not be found in God and living for Him, and this takes much glory away from God. Secondly, he speaks of a life of service, which it is, but it is a life of joyful service, not obligatory, fearful service.

Getting back to the point of this discussion, what should be the motive in doing good to others? Many Christians say that, in doing good to others, we should never seek any good out of that act for ourselves because that is selfish. In other words, you should not seek any personal profit from doing good to others. Galatians seems to clearly disagree with this teaching.

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith." (Gal. 6:9-10)

Why should we not give up on doing good to others? Because it is the right service to do for God? NO! Because in due season we will reap and profit. How? I'm not completely sure but God promises happy profit for us, so why should that not be a viable motive for love and good works.

Here are some more verses where I've seen this same pattern that shows it is ok, in fact, crucial to believe in the happiness and profit attained for us when we do good to others. This first verse actually shows how there is destruction for us when we don't do good to others.

"But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not CONSUMED by one another." Gal. 5:15

"...REMEMBER the words of the Lord Jesus, how He himself said, 'It is more BLESSED(HAPPY) to give than to receive'" Acts 20:35

"In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife LOVES HIMSELF. (because his love for her will affect him. I know, I've experienced this.)"
Eph. 5:28

"If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, BUT have not love, I GAIN nothing." I Cor. 11:3

JT