The Danger Of Compromise - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%2023:5-7&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%2015:9-10&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2019:4-6,%2012&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%2027:24-26&version=NIV1984

As I mentioned yesterday, Pontius Pilate and his sell-out of Jesus is the poster child for compromise.  In the end, Pilate sentenced Jesus, a man he publicly declared innocent several times (not to mention Herod who also said the same) to death because of peer pressure.  Because he was afraid that the Jewish religious leaders would send an unfavorable report to Tiberius Caesar.  That he would be portrayed as knowingly and willingly letting an accused leader of a potential Jewish rebellion go free.  With his patron, Sejanus, having recently been deposed by the Emperor, Pilate felt that he couldn’t take that risk.  So he gave in.  He compromised.  He let himself be pressured to go against what he knew was right.  A sad situation indeed.

The following are some of the dangers associated with compromise as seen in the life of Pilate.  These are dangers that we must also avoid.

1 - Seeks to avoid the situation completely

After Pilate pronounced Jesus as innocent the Jews persisted in their insistence that He be crucified.  Then Pilate learned that Jesus was a Galilean.  How convenient!  Herod happened to be in town and he was the governor of Judea.  So Pilate sent Jesus to Herod.  This way he could avoid taking a further stand on Jesus’ innocence.

2 - Seeks to deal with it indirectly

Well, Herod also found Jesus innocent and sent him back to Pilate.  The ball was now once again in his court.  It was then that the idea of releasing a prisoner came up.  There was a notorious murderer in jail named Barabbas.  Pilate figured that the religious leaders wouldn’t want a murderer released.  He thought this would be a great way of avoiding a confrontation with the Jews.  So Pilate offered to release the prisoner of their choice.  Incited by the chief priests, the crowd demanded the release of Barabbas.  Not what Pilate had expected.

3 - Seeks to make concessions

Now Pilate is beginning to feel the heat.  So he has Jesus flogged.  After beating Him half to death, he brings Jesus out and presents Him to the crowd.  Certainly the savage beating that Jesus took would be enough to satisfy the Jews’ thirst for blood and revenge he thought.  Wrong again.  The Jews would stop nothing short of Jesus’ crucifixion.

4 - Seeks to escape responsibility

Finally, with the situation threatening to turn into a full blown riot, Pilate makes the final compromise.  He releases Barabbas and sentences Jesus to be crucified.  The Jewish leaders were happy.  In exchange, no incriminating and damaging report about Pilate would be forthcoming from them to Caesar.  In an attempt to disassociate himself from this travesty of justice, Pilate publicly washed his hands of the whole matter.  The Jews accepted this.  But God didn’t.  Washing one’s hands can never atone for condemning a righteous man to death.

Unfortunately, as Christians, just like Pilate, we face the temptation to compromise every day.  To compromise our values.  Our beliefs.  And ultimately our Savior.  These temptations are both big and small.  Subtle and obvious.  The little white lie we tell to get us out of a sticky situation.  The fear of saying grace in public.  The unwillingness to take a Biblical stand on homosexuality.  Or abortion.  The giving in to do something unethical at work.

And peer pressure plays a large part in our temptation to compromise.  Because deep down we do care what others think about us.  We all want to be liked.  Well thought of.  We don’t want to be seen as old-fashioned.  Conservative.  Judgmental.  Intolerant.  So we sacrifice Jesus for the sake of popularity.  Convenience.  Career advancement.  To save ourselves.  I don’t know that you would find this definition in Webster’s dictionary but one way to look at compromise is that it occurs when we are more concerned about what others think about us than what God thinks about us.

So what can we do to avoid compromise?

1. Be firmly committed to the truth.  To our values and beliefs.

2. Develop convictions based upon the Bible.  This means we need to know what it says.

3. Recognize compromise when we see it.  And take a firm, early stand against it.

4. Pray.

5. Seek godly counsel.  Get advice from other mature believers.

While the temptation to compromise is inevitable, giving in to it is not.  By the grace and strength of God, we can both avoid putting ourselves in compromising situations and avoid giving into them when they come our way!

Lord, help me not to put myself in compromising situations.  And when they do come my way, help me stand against them.  By the strength of Your Word.  And the power of Your Holy Spirit.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Danger Of Compromise - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204:17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20119:1-3&version=NLT

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matt%205:13&version=NIV1984

Last Sunday I preached on the life of Pontius Pilate.  It seems that each year I preach on Jesus’ Triumphal Entry, His crucifixion and His resurrection.  But rarely anything else.  So I decided to speak on another aspect of Holy Week.  The infamous Pilate.  The Roman governor who became the poster child for compromise.

Compromise is a one of those subjects that can be either good or bad.  Compromise is good when it fosters human understanding.  When it helps people find common ground.  I don’t think that anyone can have a good marriage without compromise.  And the same is probably true of all human relationships.  Even countries need to learn the art of compromise in order to peacefully coexist in the world.  But compromise also has a dark side.  It comes whenever people violate their beliefs or values for expediency.  Out of fear of what others may think.  Out of pressure to conform to what others want them to do.  Or out of self-preservation.  "Better them than me", they say.

Not much is known about Pontius Pilate other than he was appointed as prefect (governor) of Judea about 26 AD.  It was not exactly a prestigious or highly-sought-after government position.  Judea was considered an outpost of the Roman Empire.  Far away from the splendor and culture of Rome.  And Judea was also known for being a very difficult territory to govern.  While other countries might embrace the Roman way of life, the Jews steadfastly clung to their own religion and culture.  They had no use for Roman law, Roman ways, or Roman gods.  As such, there was a sense of hostility toward the Romans.  And open rebellion was never far from the surface.  Only the brutality of the Roman legions kept the Jews in check.  And Pilate was a man well-fit for the job.  He was known for both his brutality and contempt of the Jews.

One day the Sanhedrin (the Jewish governing council) brought a prisoner to Pilate.  He didn’t look very intimidating.  (Although He had already been roughed up by the temple guards).  His name was Jesus.  A Galilean carpenter-turned-rabbi and miracle worker.  The Sanhedrin made Jesus out to be a very dangerous criminal.  Someone who was against paying taxes to Rome.  And someone who professed to be a king.  These accusations were tailor-made to arouse Pilate’s suspicions.  So Pilate questioned Jesus privately and quickly determined that He was no threat.  He declared Him innocent.  But this was not the verdict that the Sanhedrin wanted.  Unfortunately, Pilate was soon to learn that the Jews meant business.  They were bound and determined to have Jesus crucified.  And though Pilate thought that he was in control, he soon found that he was at the mercy of public opinion.  In the end, he compromised.  He knowingly sent an innocent man to his death in order to save his own skin.  By doing so Pilate became a willing participant in the greatest crime in human history - the death of God’s Son.  

Herein is a word to the wise.  The compromising of our values, our morals, our integrity always leads to shame.  Regret.  Disgrace.  Not to mention the disapproval and judgment of God.  This is why we should seek to avoid it.  In tomorrow’s post I will present the dangers of compromise as seen in the life of Pilate and what we can do to avoid following his example.

Lord, every day I am tempted to compromise.  In both small and big ways.  Help me to be strong to what I know is true.  To not give any ground at all.  To stay true to You and Your commandments.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Boundaries - Part II

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Gen%202:17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ex%2020:1-17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Deuteronomy%2010:12-13&version=NIV1984

Yesterday I posted about boundaries.  About the fact that they are everywhere.  Most of the time boundaries exist in order to protect something.  To keep people from being injured.  To keep the environment from being damaged.  To keep animals from either being harmed or harming people.

One has to be only vaguely familiar with the Bible to realize that it has a lot of boundaries.  Perhaps the most famous ones are the 10 Commandments.  For the most part they are boundaries on what people can and can’t do.  Of course, throughout the rest of the Bible are scattered various boundaries as well.  What activities the priests could and couldn’t do.  What kinds of sacrifices the people could and couldn’t bring.  What kind of behavior was allowed and what wasn’t.  The Pharisees of Jesus' day took boundaries to heart.  (At least most of them.)  They even added quite a few of their own.  Just for good measure.  The result was that boundaries became a heavy burden to people.  With so many boundaries sooner or later they were going to violate one.  Or several.

As Christians, we have a choice in the way that we view God-given boundaries.  If we view them in a negative light, that God has given them in order to take the fun out of our lives, how are we going to respond to them?  We are either going to resent them or we are going to deliberately go beyond them.  One or the other.  We see this everyday.  Christians who are very miserable because they want to cross the boundaries but feel guilty doing so.  Or Christians who seem to have a callous disregard for boundaries.  Pretty much anything goes for them.  It is these kind of Christians that cause such a stumbling block to non-Christians.

The proper way to view God-given boundaries is in a positive light.  God, in His infinite wisdom, has established boundaries for our protection.  He does this out of love for us.  He doesn’t want us or our loved ones to get hurt.  When viewed this way, how are we going to respond to boundaries?  We will respect them.  We will willingly avoid crossing them.  We will keep a safe distance from them.  We will see them as beneficial.  As something that is for our own good.  And we will be thankful for them.

So, in the end, it is our view and approach to God’s boundaries that is important.  We can view boundaries in a negative light, as a long list of do’s and don’ts that we have to obey.  Or we can view boundaries in a positive light, as God’s loving warnings that keep us from harm.  The choice is up to us.  If only Adam & Eve had viewed God’s boundary in a positive light they would not have fallen into sin.  Nor plunged the world into sin as well.  In the same way, the manner in which you and I view God’s boundaries not only impacts us, it impacts others around us.  What a responsibility.  I, for one, want to take advantage of God’s wisdom.  I don’t want to have to learn the hard way.  I want to honor God by taking Him at His word.  And staying well within the boundaries that He has set for me.  It’s where I’m the safest. 

Lord, I thank you for providing me with boundaries.  I can’t say that I understand all of them.  But I do know that You are a loving God.  And You have provided these boundaries for my own well-being and protection.  Help me to embrace Your boundaries.  Because when I do, not only do I benefit, but You are glorified.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Boundaries - Part I

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2019:7-11&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Corinthians+6:17&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%205:13&version=NIV1984

Boundaries.  What do you think when you hear the word?  Is it positive or negative?  On a negative note, a boundary means restriction.  It means a place that we can’t freely go.  For example, we can’t walk into the movie theater without buying a ticket first.  Nor can we go into certain sections of a building that are marked ‘Restricted’.  On the positive side,  boundary means freedom.  It clearly shows where we can go.  For example, a fence on our property says that we can go anywhere we want to inside it.  And the walls and roof of our house are boundaries that protect us from the elements.  And from unwelcome visitors.

The fact is that boundaries are everywhere.  Most streets have a boundary.  It’s called a curb.  Every single building has a boundary.  They’re called walls.  Every single sport has boundaries.  An out-of-bounds line.  A sideline.  A base path.  Construction zones have boundaries.  Properties have boundaries. Countries have boundaries.  Some boundaries are invisible. The so-called glass ceiling. Various barriers to advancement.  Race.  Gender.  Age.

It is interesting to see how children react to boundaries.  If you’ve ever had a child you know what I am talking about.  “Don’t touch the nick knacks.”  “Don’t go out in the street.”  “Don’t climb on the furniture.”  Some children, when you show them the boundaries, won’t go near them.  They avoid them.  I suspect that their parents put the fear of God into them.  Other children, however, are intrigued and fascinated by boundaries.  As soon as you tell them not to do something what do they want to do?  To do it!  Boundaries, testing them and breaching them, seems to draw their attention.

Interestingly, boundaries are almost as old as humankind itself.  In Genesis 2:8-9 we are told that God made a garden call Eden.  In that garden was every kind of tree that God had made.  Including the Tree of Life.  God then placed Adam & Eve in the garden to take care of it.  In verse 17, Adam & Eve were strictly warned by God not to eat of the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.  This meant that they could eat freely of the fruit of any other tree, including the Tree of Life, but that one tree.  God did this as a test.  To see if Adam & Eve really loved Him.  Loved Him enough to trust and obey Him.  Well, we know how that worked out!  And why did it work out the way that it did?  Obviously Satan was to blame but it was because Adam & Eve viewed the boundary as a restriction.  As God keeping them from something they should be able to have.  When viewed this way, is it any wonder that Adam & Eve sinned by deliberately crossing that boundary?  I think not.  More thoughts on tomorrow’s post.

Lord, there are many boundaries in this world.  Ones I can see.  And ones I can't see.  Help me to pay attention to the ones that You have put in place.  To obey them and not cross over them.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

What Is Success?

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+9:24&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Joshua%201:7-8&version=NASB

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%2015:4-5&version=NIV1984

What is success?  This is an age-old question for sure.  Down through the centuries people have struggled to answer this.  It is a question that is asked very often in our culture.  Companies want to know if they are being successful.  Non-profits wants to know if they are being successful.  Individuals want to know if they are being successful.  It seems that there is this deep-seated need that we all have to know that we are accomplishing something.  That we doing more than existing.  That we are realizing our potential.  And our purpose.

Of course, the answer to ‘What is success?’ depends upon whom you ask.  One person defines success in terms of income.  Another in terms of popularity.  Still another in terms of possessions.  Or in terms of relationships.  And society would define success in still different terms.  Is the environment being protected?  How consistent are the dividends?  How many championships have been won?  How many units have been sold?  

As Christians, we all know there is a difference between our values and the values of the world.  So what is success for us?  Is it being consistent in our devotions?  Is it how familiar with are with the Bible?  Is it having a happy marriage?  Children who know and serve the Lord?  Leading someone to Christ?  Just exactly how do we define success?

Yesterday I read the following about this subject in my devotional.  “A successful day is one in which you have stayed in touch with Jesus even if many things remain undone at the end of the day.”  OK.  That’s probably not the definition that most of us would have come up with.  But I like it.  I like it because I believe that it really gets to the heart of the Christian life.  It’s all about Jesus, isn’t it?  About having a relationship with Him. Relationship implies communication on a regular basis. Relationship also implies mutual respect.  Understanding.  And love.

So many times when I come home from the office Beth will ask me how my day went.  As a Type-A person I tend to answer her based upon how much I managed to mark off my To-Do list.  If I was able to accomplish a lot, I reply in the affirmative.  If I didn’t accomplish a lot, I reply in the negative.  But perhaps I have been using the wrong standard for success.  The reality is that I can’t always get a lot things done every day.  Sometimes I am waiting on other people.  Sometimes other things need my attention.  Things that pop up during the day that weren’t on my list at the beginning of the day.  So I can’t always accomplish a lot.  But I can stay in constant communion with Jesus.

And so can you.  Whether you’re young or old, whether your working or retired, whether you’re in ministry or not, you can keep in touch with Jesus.  All day.  Every day.  Is this difficult to do?  Yes it is.  Like anything else, it takes practice.  It takes intentionality.  It takes relying upon the Holy Spirit.  Am I there yet?  Not even close!  But I am getting better at it.  And now I know what I need to do.  That’s half the battle.  So I am going to try to concentrate on Jesus more.  By thinking about Him throughout the day.  Talking to Him.  Praising Him.  Thanking Him.  Worshiping Him.  Eventually I want to get to the point where even though I accomplish very little, I can still say that it was a success.  Because Jesus and I went through the day together!

Lord, I admit that I am not very good at this moment-by-moment stuff.  The fact is that sometimes You barely cross my mind at all in a given day.  But I want to change this.  I want to have an awareness of Your presence.  All day.  Every day.  I want to learn to stay in touch with You.  To share with You my joys and sorrows.  My plans and dreams.  My triumphs and disappointments.  I want an intimate relationship with You.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Self: Like A Ball Of Yarn

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+6:6&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4:22&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+15:31&version=NASB

I don’t knit.  I probably could learn but have never had the slightest inclination to.  But I know people who do.  My wife Beth does.  Not all the time.  But on occasions.  Usually when it’s going to be a gift for someone.  She doesn’t knit for herself.  Or for me.  Thank goodness!

I do know enough about knitting that one of the prerequisites is yarn.  (I will go to the head of the class for that one!)  Either a skein or a ball.  Of course, it is part of my inquisitive mind to wonder how long the average ball of yarn is.  What do you think?  The short answer is that it depends upon the type of yarn.  So I did a search on the Internet and found out that Lion brand medium worsted yarn is 236 yards long.  That would translate into a little over 700'.  Now 700' might not seem that long but just go ahead and begin to unravel it.  It would quickly fill up your room.  And have enough left over to go into other rooms.  And out the door.  And down the street.  The point is that a compact ball of yarn doesn’t look like much.  Until you begin to unravel it.  Then it seems like it is endless.

Lately I am beginning to think that self is a lot like a ball of yarn.  By this I mean that it appears to have no end.  For example, my ‘self’ gets impatient when it is forced to wait.  For red lights.  In doctor’s offices.  For the sun to shine.  I find that my ‘self’ can also be quite judgmental.  “Look at what she’s wearing.”  “Look at what he’s doing.”  “I’m glad I never talk like that.”  I find that my ‘self’ also gets hurt easily.  Is prone to pride.  Likes to be noticed.  And a host of other very undesirable characteristics.  It seems that no matter where I look, I see my ‘self’.  I try to squash it.  Hide it.  Make it my servant.  But it won’t obey me.  No matter how hard I try I just can’t seem to come to the end of it.  My ‘self’ is much longer, larger and stronger than I ever thought.

The former evangelist D. L. Moody was once asked about some disparaging remarks that a friend had made about him.  Moody replied, “Right now I’m having so much trouble with D.L. Moody, that I don’t have time to criticize my friends.”  Amen to that!  The reality is that the biggest problem we have is not with others.  Though we often think that.  The biggest problem that we have us with us.  With ‘self’.  You see, self demands to be noticed.  Pampered.  Taken care of.  Served first.  And when it isn’t, watch out!

This is why it is so important to crucify ourselves every day.  As I posted on March 25th, a verse that I say every day is Galatians 2:20.  I like it because it deals with this very issue.  The only way to take care of self is to kill it.  Crucify it.  And when we find that it has miraculously resurrected we crucify it again.  And again.  The reality is that our self is 100% opposed to God.  And totally corrupt.  As such it doesn’t deserve our pity or sympathy.  It deserves to be killed.

So the next time that we see a ball of yarn I hope that we will remember that there is a lot more to self than what we realize at times.  Self permeates everything that we think, say and do.  The best thing we can do is to get rid of it.  All of it.  Today.  And every day.

Lord, there are times when I am amazed (and discouraged) at how prevalent self is in my life.  I see it everywhere I go.  In my thoughts, words, and actions.  It appears to be endless.  Help me to crucify it.  To put it to death.  Every day.  So that Your Spirit can have complete control of my life.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Confidence In The Flesh

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians%203:3&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+2:2&version=NIV1984

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah+17:7&version=NIV1984

I came across the following post by Terry Stanley of Home Church Help the other day.  Since it was so I thought I would re-post it here.  He gives permission on his site to do this.  Enjoy.

On a personal note, I am definitely still maturing and growing in the Lord and I have a long way to go.  But when I was a younger Christian man I knew exactly what I believed in every area of Scripture.  I made it a point to form an opinion in every area and on every topic.  I had my list of personal doctrines.  I knew where I stood on every issue and I had Scripture to back it all up.  I could argue a point and not back down.  I called this spiritual ‘maturity’.  And the more I learned and fortified my positions on various doctrines, the more I thought I was growing in God.  But then something began to happen to me.

I soon learned that my theology and stances on doctrine didn’t help me very much during difficult and painful times.  All I could do during these desperate hours was to fall apart and call out to the Lord to help me.  I didn’t really know it, but this is when I truly began to grow. I began to get to know the Lord.  He was all that I had.  During these times of travail and breakthrough of the Lord rescuing me I encountered Jesus Christ Himself many times.  I didn’t care about all of my theologies during my times of desperation.  As I began to have more and more times of being in the presence of the Lord desperate for His help and comfort and tasting of His great love – I cared less and less about everything.  Everything but Him.

Most of my theological positions, my answers to defend my beliefs, and the proofs that I had developed to argue the faith – were really only a house of cards.  Concerning many popular doctrines, I had some really great arguments.  But I learned that my arguments were really only good for one thing – getting into arguments with people.

If you continue to follow Christ, at some point in your journey you will become fully convinced that it is the foundations and basics of the faith that become all important – humility, trust, brokenness, contrition, and believing the good news of Jesus and His love through and through.  To fully give ourselves to these foundational things of the Christian faith (the things that actually rid us of all self and bring us into the presence of Jesus) these are the only things that will weather the great storms of life.  These are the only things that help us to truly experience the Lord on a daily basis.  These are the only things that cooperate with our heart being filled with His joy and His great love.  And these are the only things that empower us to love others consistently and with endurance.

When we are in the very presence of the living God, during those moments, we simply do not care that much about anything else.  He is mesmerizing.  As we are in the Lord’s presence, we are caught up with His great love and magnificence.  So, why do we care so much about other things so much of the time?  Why do we care so much about our doctrines, our ‘ism’s’ and our theology?  If being in His presence brings us to care only for Him, then if we are constantly caring for other things besides Him, we are not truly living and walking in His presence very much at all.  If we are not breaking through often to trust from the heart and encounter the Lord Jesus in a real way, our Christianity becomes nothing more than a hobby of ideas.  We are left with only a ‘belief system’.

Instead of vessels who are filled with God Himself, we merely become a vessel full of opinions and ‘concepts’.  The world’s opinions about politics, lifestyle, the economy, theology, or opinions about various controversies does little to change people’s lives, or our own lives.  Only the person of Jesus Christ can change a person for the better. Only Jesus is wisdom.  Only in Christ are we in need of nothing.

We can only give away what we have.  If all we have are doctrines, ologies, and ism’s, then that is all we will have to give away to someone else.  But if we are encountering the Lord Jesus Christ in a consistent and real way, then it will be Jesus Himself that we will have to give away to others.  When we truly meet with the risen God, He permeates our soul, our minds, and our bodies.  It is just like when Moses came down from the mountain after being in the presence of God.  His face was noticeably shining from being in the presence of the Lord (Ex 34:29-30).

As we meet with Jesus, His warmth and love will fill our hearts.  Therefore others will find us warm and inviting.  Both His wisdom and simplicity will become a part of us.  Because of this, others will taste of the wisdom and simplicity within our souls.  As we are in His presence, we will know the reality of His steadfast love and patience.  Likewise, our forbearance and patience with others will be completely supernatural.  Our hospitality for others will be evident to all because the Lord would have personally been giving to us and comforting us.  Others will be drawn to the stability they taste in us, because we will actively know Christ who is the Rock.  Others will feel a certain security and trust when being around us, because we ourselves have been experiencing the security and surety of His steadfast love.

Lord, help me to realize that when it’s all said and done, everything is about You.  You are not just the ‘main thing’, You are the only thing.  Help me to pursue being in Your presence.  And may being in Your presence transform me into who You want me to be.  For Your glory.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.