by chrisaiken | Mar 10, 2016 | Devotions, Pastor's Reflections
I saw something powerful and provoking in the Word this morning:
“Behold, as the servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid looks to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us.” Psalm 123:2.
A servant and a maid are absolutely dependent on the master or the mistress’ benevolence. If the master is cruel or chooses not to provide, the servant goes without. If the servant is well cared for, it is to the credit of the master, not the servant.
Servants do not demand. They serve. Servants do not circumvent. They serve. Servants do what they do in service to the master. Everything. Everything. The servant exists for the master’s pleasure and to fulfill the master’s will.
The Apostle Paul was fond of identifying himself, not as an enterprising teacher or religious elite…but as a doulos, a bondservant. A bondservant was everything I described above by choice. He served because he desired to, not because he was compelled to do so by external forces.
Reflecting on the role of a bondservant and his relationship with the Master, Paul reminds us in Philippians 4:11-13 that he depends upon the Master for everything and that he is content to do so…not based on circumstance, but based on the Master’s PERSON and Paul’s purpose in serving for the Master’s PLEASURE.
So, do you look to the hand of the Master UNTIL He is gracious to you? Do you exist for His pleasure? Or, have you reversed the roles in your mind to think (even though you would never say such strong things) that the Master exists to serve your needs?
God is not having an identity crisis…are you?
Shalom, CA.
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by chrisaiken | Mar 9, 2016 | Devotions, Uncategorized
“Don’t miss the forest for the trees, they said.” A great reminder that we, at times, can reduce our focus so far that we actually lose perspective and, often times, the “wonder” of the bigger picture. As a guy who reads the Bible…a lot…and critically… it is important for me to step back and look at it in “bigger chunks” in order to not forget the overarching idea. By my life’s calling, I analyze Scripture to the most minute of details. This is what some refer to as “mining the text.” It is essential for a teacher, but it is not exclusive.
This morning, I came to Psalm 119 in my daily “quiet time,” and rather than take it in parts, I settled in for the entire thing. (Now reading one psalm doesn’t seem that impressive…until you look at it. If you have to turn the pages more than once, you have a long text).
As I read, I was reminded of the reverence that the Psalmist displayed toward the Word of God. He saw it as ALIVE. He saw it as HOLY. He saw it as an EDICT from a REIGNING KING! The Bible, for the psalmist, is not an op-ed piece or a commentary on life from a fallible man. The Bible is TREASURED instruction and REVEALED TRUTH from the very mouth of God. It is an expression of God’s love. It is able to save (v.41). It guards against sin’s destructive lure and consequence (v.9-11). It revives and restores (v.25) and therefore it comforts (v.49-51).
Perhaps all of these responses to the Word are predicated on this truth, found in vv.89-90:
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. Your faithfulness continues throughout all generations; you established the earth, and it stands.
Honestly…that is a bold statement. God’s spoken edict stands forever. He is never reversed on appeal. His judgments are true. His truth is triumphant. He is predictable in so many ways because He is FAITHFUL, always, to His Word because He is faithful to Himself.
So, here is the point to consider today– If God is unchanging and He has revealed exactly who He is, how He thinks, what He desires/demands/deserves…and if He has revealed all of that freely to us…does it not make sense to know His revealed Word personally and deeply?
Final thought in verse 11:
“Your Word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against you.”
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by chrisaiken | Mar 5, 2016 | Devotions, Pastor's Reflections, Uncategorized
In my circles, it is a foregone conclusion that falling into temptation or succumbing to sin is deadly. I don’t know any believer (Christ follower) who would affirm that you are “cool” having an affair. I don’t know any, for that matter, who would affirm sin in any form as an acceptable course of action.
So how do so many with such strong convictions fall prey to the allure of the enemy of Holy God? Could it be that we simply walked too close to the line?
That is the point of the writer here in Proverbs 5:8-9. Now the “her” he is speaking of is the “adulterous woman” who is a beautiful, flattering temptress who represents NSA (no strings attached) pleasure (v.3). She is a recurring figure throughout the Proverbs and may seem like the Christian’s greatest enemy. Actually though, she is simply a distracting tool of the enemy; whereas, the greatest weakness of the Christian is simply his own lack of discipline.
In this chapter, we find that the young man knew instruction (v.1) and was accountable to a discipler (vv.1-2, 12-14, et.al). He was aware of the predicted outcome of engaging in sin (vv.4-5, 9-11). His issue is not a lack of knowledge or an ignorance of consequences, but a deficiency in discipline.
“Keep your way far from her and do not go near the door of her house, or you will give your vigor to others and your years to the cruel one.” Proverbs 5:8-9.
The warning is for the man to stay FAR AWAY from the temptation! “Hey pastor,” you might ask, “Isn’t Christ powerful enough to deliver the man from a doorstep?” Sure! The issue is not Christ’s power but the man’s discipline. If he has knowledge and accountability and the Spirit of God within him telling him to stay away from the door (but no woman introduced on the scene)…and he still cannot yield to the voice of Wisdom, what are the chances that he will suddenly strengthen his resolve when a beautiful woman starts whispering “sweet nothings”in his ear?
Not only does the man need to stay away from the adulteress, but he has a positive activity commended to him as well. Vv.15-19 tell him to be satisfied with his own wife.
“Drink water from your own cistern and fresh water from your own well. Should your springs be dispersed abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be yours alone and not for strangers with you. Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice in the wife of your youth. As a loving hind and a graceful doe, ler her breasts satisfy you at all times; be exhilerated always with her love.” Proverbs 5:15-19.
Look at your wife the way you’d be tempted to look at the adulteress. Determine to focus on her. Remove the rivals in your mind or attention. Give yourself only to her! [Consequently, this is the greatest danger in my opinion with pornography- not that there aren’t good cases to be made for cheapening the imago dei of women posing naked or having sex on camera. Frankly though…again in my opinion, my declared and determined allegiance is to my one wife and to our One God!] If I introduce my eyes or mind to another woman’s sexuality, I create a rival (in my mind) for my wife. How is that ever good? If I dishonor my vows to my wife OR cause another woman to dishonor her vows to her husband or to her Creator’s purpose…how is that ever good?
So…all in all, don’t even get close to thinking about the other woman’s doorway. If you do and you wander too close, the enemy of God will use her to destroy your wife (present or future…in case you’re single and read this) and to provoke you to dishonor the God who created and redeemed you.
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by chrisaiken | Feb 24, 2016 | Devotions, Pastor's Reflections
“It is just a one-time thing. No one will ever know.”
“It is your choice.”
“Seize the day!”
“Choose to be happy.”
These pithy little sayings have the appearance of good and loving advice. It sounds like anything you could hear from a friend as you sit down to a cup of coffee at your favorite Starbucks.
In our me-centered existence that majors on comfort and scoffs at the suggestion of sacrifice, advice like this abounds. After all, who WOULDN’T want to be happy? Why would you choose UNHAPPINESS?
Truthfully, the reductionism in the question alone defeat us from even discovering the answer. Who says your choice is short-term happiness or unhappiness? Is it not possible that there is a third and ultimately God-glorifying option? I want to suggest to you that the right option is nearly always “long-term happiness” or what we might call “Joy.”
Joy is a much deeper expression than happiness. Happines is an emotional response to stimuli. I found something on sale, so I am happy. I got a parking place close to the entrance, so I am happy. Joy is: I have developed a long-term security in my finances so I am covered whether something is on sale or not. I train at the gym and am in good shape so I am great whether I park close to the entrance or far away. Now…don’t be put off by the simplicity of these examples. They simply serve to illustrate a greater truth.
When we choose to make decisions that have long-term benefit, we often discover that we give up some short-term rewards. We don’t do so because we desire pain in our lives. That’s ridiculous. We do so because we want to have joy. We are not unhappy in our present circumstance because our objective extends beyond the present.
“Prepare your work outside and make it ready for yourself in the field; afterwards, then, build your house.” Provers 24:27.
Here, the writer gives us a principle: You can choose to get your house ready so that you can be comfortable indoors (which is pretty important); or, you can prepare your field (which is time-sensitive) so that you can get the crops in the ground. While they are growing, you can build your house. Then, at the harvest, you will have both produce to eat and a house to eat it in.
Many people miss this. Financially they choose the opposite fo the Proverb. “Let’s go on vacation today to Disney…even if we have to charge it. The kids will only be little for so long! Sure, but now there are a ton of things you cannot do for the following months because you charged an expensive vacation. When the stove went on “the fritz” you had no funds to repair it so you had to charge the replacement on an in-store credit. Now you have enormous debt and you cannot be faithful to other and more important obligations.
Sure, you were happy at Disney. But you had no produce at theharvest. It would have been better to dial it back to a camping trip in a park or take a “stay-cation” and save your cash. Then, next year, you could have enjoyed both Disney and long-term satisfaction. That is Joy.
I want to enjoy sex with someone now…but doing so means I cannot enjoy sex within the design of biblical marriage as intended later. Choosing abstinence now doesn’t equate to choosing drudgery now…it equates to worshipful obedience now and greater God-designed enjoyment later. That is Joy.
Today and tomorrow and the next day, choose Joy…and be happy doing it.
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by chrisaiken | Feb 19, 2016 | America, American, culture, Pastor's Reflections, politics
The news is all abuzz in recent days over a feigned “dust-up” with Presdiential candidate, Donald Trump, and the Pope. It emanates from a press conference with the Pope on a North American visit where he said (among many other things) that (and I paraphrase) the concept of building walls rather than bridges is not a Christian worldview. Some took his comments to be a personal judgment of Trump’s relationship with Christ and rejected them.
Trump himself said, “No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith.”
In an interview on 2-18-16, I heard Jerry Falwell Jr, a prominient evangelical voice say that he personally has heard Mr. Trump’s testimony and that he had “no doubt” that Trump was a Christian.
So, what “tweaks” me a bit is the misuse of Scripture by so many commentators about why the Pope COULD NOT judge Trump’s relationship with God.
“Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1) has rolled off the tongues of many pundits in recent days. While I (obviously) affirm the veracity of Scripture, I do not believe this verse means what they claim it does.
Verse 2 of the same chapter says, “For in the way you judge, you will be judged.” Verse 3-5 give a qualifier that a man should remove the “plank” from his own eye BEFORE removing the “speck” from his brother’s eye. Doing so allows him to see more clearly as he acts in JUDGMENT by removing the speck from his brother’s eye. Finally, verse 6 gives an instruction,”Do not give what is holy to [non-Christians]. IS THERE A MORE JUDGMENT-LADEN STATEMENT IN THE GOSPELS?
Let me offer a couple of observations, but first, some brief qualifications:
- I am not Catholic, therefore I reject that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ. I do not believe he speaks for Christ simply by nature of his office.
- I am not a Catholic-basher. I don’t believe that simply because a person pursues an untenable faith system, they should be outright rejected on every point or opinion on matters of faith.
- I am not a Trump supporter. I see no fruit of a personal relationship with Christ (which is an anecdotal observation at best). I do see significant evidence of a petulant American businessman who has been very successful in global business. I also believe there MUST be far more to Mr. Trump than is presented in his campaign for President. I believe that while he is the MOST successful businessman in the race, there is more to being President than just business acument.
- Finally, if you believe differently on the Pope or Trump, I do not consider you an enemy. We disagree and that should be okay for adults to do.
OBSERVATIONS:
- Faith is not strictly personal. We are not judged by what we think of us, but by what Jesus thinks of us. (Mt 7:21-23, et.al).
- The outworking of our “faith” ALWAYS bears evidence of our faith. If your faith is in YOU, I can see it. If it is in God, I can see your humility and wholly committed desire to obey and follow Him to the exclusion of everyone and everything else.
- Our faith is imperfect…meaning that we are not always “docked in the right harbor,” but the ship of our life should constantly be pointed there…and when we are off course, we MUST make immediate course correction.
- The Office of President in not an office to expand the Kingdom of God. The responsibilities of the Civil Government are different than those of a church or a parachurch ministry. God has appointed it as such, on purpose (Romans 13).
- It would be malpractice in office for the President, however idealistic, to sacrifice security of the citizenry to ascribe to some idealistic goal. (By the way, isn’t that a common refrain from the current President’s political foes?)
- National security and compassion toward the poor are not mutually exclusive. You do not have to choose “either/or.” Arguing that you do is more rhetoric than logic. We have celebrated it for centuries as a nation [See tall lady in NY Harbor].
- Don’t think for a second that this “dust-up” makes Mr. Trump some sort of victim. He is “crazy like a fox.” His name is dominating the new cycle (and apparently my blog) and now he appears to be a victim of Catholic prejudice. [Underneath…I think he is smiling at the free press].
- Finally, ILLEGAL immigration is not a tenable “Christian” position. [See Romans 13]. This should be obvious to the citizens of this nation and if a foreigner (i.e. the Pope) has a different opinion…so what? He is not a citizen of the nation. He has an opinion. Me too. I just don’t get a press conference everywhere I travel…so I air my opinions here.
Hey, by the way, we are not told to “judge not,” as if we are never to have an opinion informed by the Word of God on another person’s relationship with Christ. In fact, just the opposite. So…hear this…if you are not actively following Jesus in yielded and intentional submission to Him and His plan for your life…my JUDGMENT ON YOUR LIFE is that you have never met Him (unChristian) or you’re in active rebellion against Him. The prescribed remedy is the same…abandon your rebellion against God and bow before the One, True God who alone saves and who alone is worthy of worship.
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by chrisaiken | Feb 13, 2016 | Pastor's Reflections
“He who walks with wise men will be wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20.
It cannot be a coincidence this morning: Two of the three devotional reads for me related to the influence of parents. I was drawn back to something my mom used to drive me crazy with…”If you hang around with those people, you will become just like them!” I hated that statement. I was such a rebel that I chose to resist it with every fiber of my being. “I will not be a statisitic,” I would say. Well…she was right. 🙂
The facts bear themselves out in life. With limited exceptions, we gain much from the people we asociate with. Hang out with complainers, you’ll soon become one and may not even know it. Hang out with dreamers, you’ll be a dreamer. Hang out with foolish people…and yep, you will become foolish. Finally, choose to hang around with wise people and you will be wise.
Many years ago, Jodi and I were taught by some close friends the positive implications of this verse…only our friends did not put it this way particularly. They told us to take our “counsel” from people who were already where we wanted to be, not where we were presently or where we had come from. In other words, choose to hang around people who inspire you to become more.
Doing so has its own bag of challenges. You will be constantly aware of your shortcomings. You will be ever mindful of the things that others have mastered that you are wrestling with. You will struggle at times. Many of the people where you are will tell you that this adversity is a reason to turn back. ‘You’re not one of them. Come hang out with us and just enjoy medocrity!” (Oh if the temptation were only that easy to spot).
If you want to become more, find someone who already is and choose to discipline yourself to hang out there. For me as a pastor, I have a few guys that I think have it nailed in some areas. I like to hang around them. I know I don’t contribute much to their lives, but I think I do in some ways and they help me tremendously. As a dad, I have a few role models as well. As a husband…yep, there too are some wise voices.
The truth is, you glean from your surroundings whether you want to or not…so you may as well choose surroundings that look like where you want to go.
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by chrisaiken | Feb 12, 2016 | Pastor's Reflections, Uncategorized
The man who believes in the American ideal gives his sons to it. The Christian who believes in the necessity of Salvation as the only cure for sin, bears witness to it. The woman who knows that holiness honors God and promotes life pursues it with exuberant passion.
These are succinct statements that affirm for us that our actions define our ideology more accurately than do our philosophical statements. Please permit me to explain. We can admire a particular philosophy and not live it. Our philosophy even directs our ideology but not vice-versa. Our philosophy may shift, but our ideology is certain and directs our practice. Here is how one writer spoke of the difference:
There are very fundamental differences between philosophy and ideology. Ideology refers to a set of beliefs, doctrines that back a certain social institution or a particular organization. Philosophy refers to looking at life in a pragmatic manner and attempting to understand why life is as it is and the principles governing behind it.
So our ideology determines our actions. A problem occurs when we don’t understand the difference. We think “philosophically” about something and ASSUME we believe it, but act contrary to it. The question is “why?”
I am presently reading for an upcoming assignment. In my reading I have recognized that sometimes OUTSIDE forces affect our actions. (i.e. a robber forces you to give him money that you would not choose to give otherwise). Also, a conflicting nature can affect you (i.e. the sin nature of man warring against the desires of the soul (See Romans 7:14ff). In absence of these circumstance, our actions give indication as to our underlying ideology. Furthermore, when we act contrary to our ideology and recognize those actions as rising from sin or external influences, we struggle against them to return to an action consistent with our ideology.
So, back to my initial statements and the application. Can you really say that you are thankful for and believe in the American ideal without participating in the election process? If you do not vote, do you truly hold that the “representative democracy” form of Government is greater than a monarchy?
A Christian who does not bear witness of Christ (an unimpeachable command) cannot truly argue that He holds to the doctrine of sin and the sovereignty of God…unless he will also admit that he is being swayed by a sin nature or outside influence that wars against his compliance with the Lord’s command. To say, “I do not have to witness” is a far different statement than, “I am commanded to share my faith but I am plagued by my sins of pride and self-interest or by fear of persecution.” The former statement indicates an errant ideology while the latter indicates an accurate ideology but a confliction within the person.
In either case, the thoughts of Emerson ring true, “What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say.”
Today, examine what you do. Let it be the determiner of what you truly hold as an ideology. Ask, “Am I generous,” and answer by looking at your checkbook to see where you spend your money. Ask, “Do I value prayer,” and answer by looking to see how often you actually pray. Ask, “Do I truly believe in compassion,” and answer by looking to see where you have acted compassionately toward your neighbor and those less fortunate. As you do, you’ll understand your true ideology.
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by chrisaiken | Feb 10, 2016 | Uncategorized
Great thoughts by my wife, Jodi, as she reflects on trusting God’s heart…even when you cannot trace His hand in a given situation! Read and share!
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by chrisaiken | Feb 8, 2016 | Devotions, Uncategorized
Over the past four months or so, I have experienced an increased sense of urgency in my life. A sense of urgency for the Gospel. In me was rekindled an awareness that life is short, death is certain, and then comes the judgment of God for every man.
Now in case you want to write this off as a doomsday article, hear me out. An awareness of the transitory nature of life is not in itself bad or harmful. In fact, it may be the antidote to procrastination.
Every school project I “put off” growing up…was directly related to the belief that I had another day to do it. I have always worked well with deadlines. Saying “get it to me when you can” is like saying, “If you never get to it, it is okay.”
I wonder if one of the contributing factors to the anemia of the American church is a sense of self-sufficiency and no sense of urgency?
The Psalmist thanked God for placing in his heart a sense of his own transience:
“Lord, make me to know my end and what is the extent of my days; let me know how transient I am.” Psalm 39:4, NASB.
Truthfully, I think we would all live a little differently if we believed we only had a few and fixed number of days to live. I think we would live better, love more, and seek eternal blessing rather than the temporal distractions of comfort. Frankly, this does not appear to be a new observation. Throughout the Scripture we find a call to urgency and an indictment against pursuing temporal pleasures that wear out, rust out, or are destroyed by the curses of this world.
Today, live like there is no tomorrow. Do it for the Glory of God.
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by chrisaiken | Feb 4, 2016 | Devotions, Pastor's Reflections, Uncategorized
This morning I was reading in the Scriptures and came across this “nugget” that became a point of meditation:
“When I was a son to my father…he taught me and said to me, ‘Let your heart hold fast to my words; keep my commandments and live.”
Proverbs 4:3-4
Solomon is writing here to his son about the lessons of King David to Solomon. There are several things about this that resonate with me:
- Fathers are, by design- teachers of their children. It is the father’s responsibility to teach his children, particularly in the area of relating to God. Honestly, by nature of the relationship, a father is always teaching…but it may not be the lesson he hoped to teach.
- Fathers can only confidently teach what they have learned themselves. The reason many dads don’t take a more active role is that they have not devoted themselves to the deep things of God. They know the range and trajectory of their favorite hunting gear. They know the best lure to use for a particular fish. They know the most effective manner to accomplishing their tasks at work. Our relationship and understanding of God deserves no less attention and mastery.
- A Father’s teaching extends to multiple generations. WHat you teach your sons and daughters will be taught to theirs.
- Teaching your children is important. It is important for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that God directed it.
- Many fathers feel inadequate to teach their children. As such, they desire to farm it out to experts like pastors and coaches and other leaders. We can farm out the task, but not the responsibility. Further, if we deal with our own inadequacy properly (but turning to our heavenly Father in utter dependence) then we will learn while teaching.
- Finally, dads need to lighten up sometimes. You can’t teach your kids to be perfect. You have no experience there. Teach them to relate to God perfectly…which means to learn to depend on Him. Model dependence, repentance, and personal devotion. Show them how to apologize for failure/sin by quickly apologizing. Teach them to be dependent by being dependent.
My dad taught me a lot. Probably more than he intended to. I am thankful for that. I am also aware that not every son has a dad like mine. If that’s you, then hear me: “This is no excuse for your continuation of that legacy.” Choose today to change the course and step up to the responsibility God has laid on you. You are accountable to it anyway…you might as well take it seriously and do it right.
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