Category Archives: Spiritual Growth

Spiritual Growth

Traveling Far to Discover What is Near

In the well-known story of the prodigal son, he thought his ultimate life objective was far away from home. “Not long after [he received his inheritance he asked for from his father], the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country, and there squandered his wealth in wild living” (Luke 15:13). But he soon realized that the real treasure was back home. After he was broke and hungry, he remembered how good it was back home (Luke 15:17), and he returned. The prodigal found the treasure of home when he was far away.

We may look forward to a vacation and travel to some distant state or country, but usually one of the best parts is coming home. At times circumstances require that we be away from our family and friends for a while; that is when we have a new appreciation for spouse, children, parents, neighborhood, and church friends. We have new joy in being with them again.

Sometimes we seek happiness away from the common and the ordinary only to discover that real contentment is found in the routine that has been with us all along.

At some point in life we all have to come to grips with the reality that happiness is not found in some faraway place or a large bank account, but rather from that which is close by, such as family and special times and places. As Jesus said, “…a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions “ (Luke 12:15b).

The prodigal son is a warning to us all that we should not have to travel far literally or intellectually to find that what is really important is near.

Spiritual Growth

Snake Handling

We’ve dealt with snakes since the beginning. In the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5), the snake tempted Eve and prompted her to tempt Adam.

Handling snakes can be deadly. In Acts 28:3 when the viper attached itself to Paul’s hand as he was building a fire, the people waited for him to die; when he didn’t, they assumed he was a god (Acts 28:6). Serpents have often represented the devil or evil. In Numbers 21:1-7, because the people rejected God’s word, they paid for their evil by being bitten by poisonous snakes and died. Imagine having your property infested with poisonous snakes!

But in one sense we are all snake handlers when we consider the metaphorical aspects of snakes symbolizing Satan and evil. These are the temptations we give in to and the sins we have not eliminated from our lives. The Psalmist makes this connection in Psalm 140:3: “They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent’s; the poison of vipers is on their lips.” Anytime we involve ourselves with temptations, it is like handling snakes; we can be bitten anytime.

In reading about snake handling religion, I found that over 70 handlers have died by snakebite. What deadly snakes do we handle? John speaks of some of the deadly snake-handlers in Revelation 21:8, “…the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”

The people in Numbers 21 had to look up to the bronze serpent to be healed (verse 9). And the bronze serpent was a type of Christ since Christ was lifted up for man (John 12:32). Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross (Galatians 6:14). The blood of Jesus is the antidote for the venom of sin and is the center of our salvation (Colossians 1:14).

Avoid handling snakes. And when you do succumb to temptation, remember that Jesus is the only way to be saved. “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

Spiritual Growth

Out on a Limb

A number of years ago, a high school senior in our town took his own life. At his funeral, an aunt spoke of when he was a little boy visiting her home. Her kitchen window was two stories up from the back yard. While she was fixing dinner he climbed up a tree to a limb where he could look in her kitchen window at eye level with her. She was startled, to say the least.

But once he got out on the limb he could not get back down and his father had to climb up the tree and help him down to the ground. Then she said that that was the story of his short life. In the end, he had gotten himself out on a limb and couldn’t get down.

Her point was that many people in life are out on a limb and don’t know how to get down. We need to be there to help them, but, even more importantly, One greater than any of us is always available.

God provides a way down. He sent His Son to die for our sins. There is no way we can earn salvation or deserve heaven as our eternal home. We are out there on a limb, but the Father is there to come and get us and bring us down. That is made possible through his Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and master. That is the message of the cross. Let’s accept it for ourselves, and then share the message with a lost and dying world.

Spiritual Growth

About Giving Advice: Don’t Do It!

We all have difficulties solving our own problems, but we usually feel pretty confident in knowing how others can solve theirs! Some of us are quick to give advice, which is rarely a good idea. We need to go back to the admonition of James to be quick to listen and slow to speak (James 1:19). That includes giving advice. A dear Christian lady, smiling, told me years ago, “Steve, don’t give advice. If you give advice and the people take it and it works, they will give you no credit. But if they take your advice and it does not work, they will blame you!” Needless to say, she was doing exactly what she said not to do, but she was right. Even when people ask, be careful about telling them what to do. People get pretty defensive when you start giving advice. The experts tend to agree. Both psychologist Greg Hale and advice columnist Jeffrey Zaslow, author of Tell Me All About It, offer points about advice: Tread carefully. Pick a calm moment. Pose a series of gently probing questions. Offer suggestions with the preface, “This is something that has worked for me.” The greatest communicator of all, Jesus Christ, usually combined advice giving with other techniques. One of his favorites was the use of questions. For example, he could have simply gathered his disciples together and said, “You have been with me long enough to realize I am the Son of God and it is time for you to affirm that to the people around you.” But he did not. Instead he used a series of questions, “Who do people say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-16) The disciples have different responses, such as “John the Baptist” and “Elijah the prophet.” Then Jesus asked, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). This affirmation was a key moment in his relationship with the disciples and he made it happen with the questioning technique. Paul tells us we are not to use harsh words, and advice often comes across to people that way (Ephesians 4:29-32). Don’t give advice freely; seek to help others to find solutions to their problems through thoughtful questions and kindness.

Spiritual Growth

Contrasts

In one sense, life is made up of contrasts. We have night and day, cold and hot, sun and moon, health and illness, young and old—just to name a few. Granddaddy and Josh

The Lord often taught in contrasts. He demonstrates righteousness by contrasting sheep and goats (Matthew 25). He illustrated faithful churches by contrasting heaven and hell (John 14). He demonstrates a healthy prayer life by contrasting the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18).

Jesus continually wants us to realize that there is a difference in living in this world and living to prepare for eternity. When this contrast seems blurred to us, we need to reevaluate our lives and perspectives on things. If right and wrong actions are not clear, then we are not seeing clearly the contrasts in life. When we feel ambivalent about truth and temptations are not obvious, we need to take stock of how we are living for and serving God. If our value system is inconsistent, we need to do some soul-searching.

Are we building our lives on rock or sand (Matthew 5:14-16)? Are we seasoned with or without salt (Matthew 5:13)? Are we on the narrow or broad path (Matthew 7:13-14)?

Let’s keep life in perspective by looking at contrasts. We need to serve rather than give in to selfishness. We must desire to be pure instead of impure. We want to speak kind words instead of angry words. We want to be gentle and not harsh. We must work to be patient instead of short-tempered.

We view life in a variety of ways, and one way to help us live to serve Jesus is to understand the alternatives of life through contrasts. Learn to think of our Christian walks in terms of contrasts and to keep this world separate from that which we are all preparing for-eternal life.

Spiritual Growth

My Feet in a Large Room

The Bible discusses many things that we might not include if we were the writers. For example, my feet would probably not be a topic I would choose to discuss. But God’s word comments on feet! In Psalm 31:8, we read, “And you have not given me into the hands of the enemy, but have set my feet in a large room.” Now notice the scripture does not talk about big feet – but rather a big room. I’m glad about that. In fact, literal feet in a room is not the point of the words we read.

The point of the passage is that God always wants us to expand our spiritual horizons—thus the word picture “…my feet in a large room.” He wants us to broaden our sense of worth and to appreciate our abilities to accomplish great things for his cause. We all face the challenge of not limiting his nature and power through us and through his Word. We may “place God in a box” and thus limit his greatness in the world around us.

Throughout the Bible we see God challenging people to think bigger and see more far-reaching goals in doing his work. Remember some of the admonitions he made to his people. He prodded Moses to take his people to the promised land. He inspired Isaiah to be his missionary. He motivated Jonah to go and preach to the city of Nineveh. He convinced the band of twelve to go and evangelize the world. He sent Philip to preach to the eunuch. God persuaded Barnabas and Saul to preach to the Gentile world.

We need to remember the power of God as Paul describes it in Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.” We need to expand the way we think and the possibilities on God’s behalf.

Put your feet in a large room.

 

Spiritual Growth

Don’t Quit!

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I know we all need the mercy and grace that God provides through his son, Jesus Christ. But probably all of us at times fail so much we think about giving up on living for him.

That is one of the reasons Paul is such an inspiration to me. He does not mention his specific weaknesses in this passage, but his passionate feelings seen in his description of his efforts at self-control tell me that at times he failed in his Christian walk. His thoughts in I Corinthians 9:26-27 give me comfort in my own struggles. He writes, “Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

From secular careers we have insight that failing is not fatal. Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs in his career, but he also struck out 1,330 times-a record.

Burma Shave, the first brushless shaving cream, was finally created with formula 143. Actually, the chemist was up to formula number 300 and then accidentally discovered that if you aged formula 143 for several weeks, you got a fine shave with it. If you have lived several decades, you may remember the roadside Burma Shave signs such as this one: “The whale put Jonah down the hatch, but coughed him up because he scratched—Burma Shave.”

Remember each new day is a new beginning. God does not give up on you; don’t give up on serving God.

Spiritual Growth

Unexpected Answer, Unexpected Question

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In our Let’s Start Talking project, we often repeat Luke stories because we sometimes meet with six or seven readers a day. Thus we teach the same lessons multiple times. The questions and answers, however, are not the same. For example, lesson four is about Jesus staying in the temple in Jerusalem to talk and listen with religious leaders. His parents on their way home don’t know this and think he is lost.

One of the questions I often ask the reader after reading this story is, “Have you ever been lost?” Usually the answers center around being lost in a store or at a festival. This middle-aged reader we will call Leo thought for a moment and in his limited English said, “Yes, a long time ago.” I wasn’t clear on what that meant, so I asked him more about the situation. I quickly realized he was talking about being lost spiritually! He said he eventually found Jesus and is no longer lost. That answer surprised me, but I realized he had made an excellent point.

I have preached many sermons on the crucifixion and events surrounding it. Yesterday with another reader I was talking about how the blood of Jesus takes away our sins because he died on the cross.

Then he asked, “How does the blood take away your sins?” Finding words to give a clear and accurate answer to one who is newly learning about Jesus was for me very difficult. What seemed logical in a sermon no longer seemed to fit this young and curious reader. How does the blood of a person who was killed 2000 years save us today? I did not do a very good job. Since our reading together, I have been mulling over a better answer so I will be prepared when that question is asked again.

Since many readers have a limited knowledge of the Bible and all are from a different culture, finding the right answer and responding to an unexpected answer certainly keep me from growing weary of doing the same lesson multiple times.

Spiritual Growth

Do You Believe in Reincarnation?

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Readers are unpredictable. In the middle of our lesson yesterday, Alex asked, without introduction, “Steve, do you believe in reincarnation?”

I was stunned. We had been talking about the temptation of Jesus, and I tried to think of how his question related to our lesson. It didn’t. I stumbled in getting out the words, “No, I do not believe in reincarnation.” I decided to go with the abrupt change in topic and asked him, “Do you believe in reincarnation?”

His answer? “Yes.”

He then proceeded to say that he believes in Spiritism and gave me a brief explanation of his religion. Alex mentioned, for example, that if a person is born with some impairment or is subject to some tragedy in life, he is paying for his sins in a previous life. If a rich man in this life is selfish and does not share his good fortune with others or treats others badly, in the next life he will be poor and will suffer many losses. In each life, you evolve and your goal is to be more and more like God.

They use the same Bible and will read from it at their gatherings (not called worship services). They meet regularly at centers. He said the room is not that much different from our buildings but they don’t have music and preaching.

I left that session overwhelmed. Here is a young man who is very goal-oriented, intelligent, and a delight to be around. Yet his religion is so different from mine! I had a hard time connecting him with his approach to life. I try to respect everyone’s philosophy of life; I have to admit that this conversation broadened my knowledge of how different other people’s spiritual outlooks can be.

However, I plan to go to our next session tomorrow with faith that God can work in his life to see the truth. I want him to understand that Jesus is the Son of God, that heaven and hell are real, and that Jesus wants us to follow him. I believe that God can work through me-and others-to help this young man know Jesus Christ.

We will continue to read stories from Luke and make applications to our lives. I hope he will see me as an illustration of how the Scriptures can change us to be more like Jesus every day—for this life and life eternal.

Spiritual Growth, Travel

When a Tree is Not Just a Tree

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A few weeks ago in a sermon at Central I told about a small tree that we saw growing in a large pothole in Natal, Brazil. I made the point that the infrastructure in Brazil is very different from that of the United States. Basically, I was saying that potholes go so long without repair that trees start to sprout.

I found out how wrong I was! When I was talking to prospective readers at our information meeting Tuesday night, one of the readers asked me what I thought of Natal. I retold the tree story.

One of the people said, “Oh, that is not why the little tree was there. When a pothole gets that huge, someone will put a tree [or, as we observed, an umbrella] in the hole so people won’t hit the pothole. The hole is so deep and dangerous that you can ruin your car if you hit it directly.” He said further, “That is not uncommon at all in our country.”

This conversation reminded me of how we view things differently in cultures not our own. Other customs that are different in Natal include the rudeness of eating any food with your fingers. In a restaurant yesterday I chose a chicken leg to eat, as did Lanita. Then she realized and reminded me that it is very rude to eat any food with my fingers. You use a fork or, in the case of sandwich or hamburger, a napkin to put the food into your mouth.

The Apostle Paul dealt with different customs in writing to the church at Rome in Romans 14:1-15. He was concerned that we should respect each other in our different customs about eating and special days.

We should respect other nationalities’ customs and traditions as long as they don’t contradict God’s Word. We can even apply this, I think, to other regions of the country where we live. Be willing to eat foods of a region that might not specifically appeal to you. I learned this lesson in adjusting to Lanita’s Southern cooking and especially in eating in the homes of her relatives when we first started dating. I’m still working on eating cooked turnip greens, however.

So I am trying hard here in Natal to avoid insulting any of my readers or hosts in my actions and deeds. As Paul said, “…I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (I Corinthians 9:22.)

Remember, a tree is not always just a tree. It may be another country’s orange barrels.