by chrisaiken | Aug 1, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, Faith, Pastor's Reflections
Guilty. I have thought this way before, but as I am moving firmly into the second half of my life (though you might say…’more like the 4th quarter’) I realize that we don’t have plenty of time. Time, for us, is finite…at least on this earth. Then, infinity based on our actions during this brief span of existence.
In my reading of Proverbs this morning, I was given a glimpse BACK to the mind and thoughts of “naïve” Chris…who felt invincible, lived recklessly, and persisted only by God’s mercy.
Proverbs 1:22- “How long, O naïve ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing and fools hate knowledge?”
The writer classifies those who are ignorant in the simplicity of their thinking, those who are contrarians to the claims of truth, and those who deny the truth as essentially one…at least in the outcome. He goes on to state in the remaining verses in the remaining verses that these did not see the actions of Wisdom (the personification of God) or they resisted Wisdom or flatly rejected Wisdom. As such…time ran out and they were left with the consequences of choices (1:26, 28, 30). The result or consequence of their position? They could no longer respond!
The clock ran out. More accurately…when they were sleeping, the thief broke in and stole away with what was certainly their possession (opportunity) and it was permanently and irreversibly taken away.
At some stage in our lives, we (who have heard the gospel seemingly forever) think…I can do that (repentance, baptism, study to grow, seeking forgiveness, discipling others, sharing Christ) tomorrow; however, God calls us to do that now! There may be no tomorrow…but worse, we forsake the gift of today when we delay our obedience.
No one has forever to respond. One cannot sit in a worship gathering week after week rehearsing in their mind… “one day when I have had all of my fun…THEN, I will respond to God’s call.” We do not know when the clock runs out but we most certainly do not have “Plenty of Time.”
The consequence of delay/dispute/or denial is being left to the product of our own works (1:27-29, 30, 31, 32).
BUT.
(That is how v.33 begins and I am grateful that it does…)
“he who listens to me” describing the one who seeks wisdom, submits to counsel, and acknowledges God…”shall live securely and will be at ease from the dread of evil.”
In other words, the one who stops trying “market timing” with the ways of God shall have peace. He will be prosperous in the things of God. He will experience joy. He will walk in the comfort and security of the Holy Spirit. He will be unphased by the threat of calamity because he knows the One who reigns sovereignly over all things.
Finally, I am reminded that for years I have preached to others two things that I must be constantly reminded of myself:
- That Christ came to give us abundant life now…not just a heavenly inheritance of abundance. (John 10:10).
- If we confess our sin, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9). That’s the “but” of the story…
Question to consider: Are you watching the clock and waiting on some time or place in the future to be obedient? Is the risk worth it? No one has “plenty of time” to choose our own destiny; rather, we have today…and a good, good God who beckons… “come home…come to Me…come let us reason together…come away…”
He beckons…but not forever. Today…choose to yield and begin or begin again.
Shalom.
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by chrisaiken | Jul 25, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, pastor
Some people never smile. I was looking through some pics a friend shared on social media recently and there was a remarkable stoicism about one of the people. Even if others were smiling, this person was not. For some, smiling is culturally strange. My Indian (as in India, not Cherokee) brothers rarely smile for the camera. They can be laughing and carrying on but when the camera comes out, you’d think they were officiating the most somber of events. For others, it is superstition. Yes, some cultures actually believe that smiling for a picture can cause you to have your soul stolen.
For some others though, they don’t smile because their reason seems to be gone. They were hurt. Abused. Disappointed. And they have never reconciled that with the gospel. For them, it is the image of what’s wrong that drives them, or the pride of control that directs their steps. Refusing to yield to the emotional impetus to simply…smile.
Does smiling negate the hurt or the pain one has experienced? No, of course not. It does, however, find its source in a different place. For those who can smile in adversity, their source is something greater than their pain.
If we, as believers, are to thrive in this life, we must choose to root our actions in something greater than temporary circumstance. Yes, you were hurt. God saw it. And He sent His Son to pay your debt so one day…your tears could be wiped away and your pain could be a distant memory.
Yes, you did blow it. Over and over again. And again. And God sent His Son to settle the debt incurred so you could rejoice and experience a transcendent hope!
Yes, you have failed in the task; and, God chose to redeem you, restore you, indwell you, and entrust His glorious gospel to you. He “hired you” when life “fired” you for poor performance!
My wiring is such that I am hyper-critical of my own actions. It is a form of pride…and not the good kind. It is sin. It is rooted in a broken nature that wants to earn respect rather than receive position by grace. My hyper-criticism of self…is sin. I am a work in progress. I am not satisfied with where I am, but I am also not staying here.
The Psalmist writes: “But You O Lord, are a shield about me, My glory, and the One who lifts my head.” (Psalm 3:3). This truth reminds that when life and our performance demands we stare at the ground in shame and regret, in stoic reflection…God stretches out His hand, places it under our chin, and lifts our eyes to heaven.
You have failed, and Christ has overcome. You have faltered in your faith yet God remains faithful to His promise to you. You have rebelled and forsaken your calling, and God called you to be His own.
Today…by His grace and your willful actions…root your smile in His gospel rather than your circumstance…and SMILE.
Shalom.
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by chrisaiken | Jul 24, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, Faith, Leadership, pastor
I don’t recall the exact year, but it was like a switch went off. One day I was satisfied with my model cars, toy guns and my pretend secret lair where my cardboard computer allowed me to take over the world. The next day, I realized…”I’m older now and these things no longer entertain me or serve the purpose of amusement that they once did.” I could still be nostalgic about them, but it was time to move on. I don’t think this was unique to my experience; rather, I recall a similar transition with both of my sons. Even with Jodi and myself as a couple after a few years of marriage, we were no longer satisfied with the status quo and decided to move on. Everyone is created to “grow up.”
That makes sense to us as we observe life…but do we see our spiritual development the same way? If a 30 year old man still played on the floor with matchbox cars or had a pretend “bat cave” with cardboard super-computer in his closet…we’d think something was a little off; however, we accept, unchallenged, that it is ok to be stunted in our growth spiritually…never progressing from the elementary principles to the life-altering responsibilities and corresponding blessings of being a disciple.
The Apostle Paul said, “When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things.” (1 Corinthians 13:11).
He admonished the same people (the church) to grow up…stating that their immaturity had actually prevented him from taking them to the depths of truth in Christ.
“And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as men of flesh, as infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able, for you are still fleshly. For since there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking as mere men?” (1 Corinthians 3:1-3).
So we see in the passage that some responsibility for maturing in the faith rested on the believers. They could not receive because they were still fleshly. We take this to mean that they were controlled more by self-interest and satisfaction than by pursuit of sanctification. They did not desire to grow and become like Christ; rather, they sought a measure of comfort in their contemporary existence. They wanted to be happy, comfortable and catered to.
How could the Apostle truly know their heart? He indicates in the passage above and expounds on it in the following verses. He said they were controlled by the flesh…as manifested in their prideful boasting and bickering over which teacher they most closely aligned with. In other words, their actions gave them away. Jesus gave a similar diagnostic model when he said that you could read a man’s heart by the words that came out of his mouth (Matthew 15:18-19).
So the solution to immaturity is twofold according to the Scriptures: The Holy Spirit is working to conform us, and we are seeking to be conformed/perfected in the faith. God has already laid His cards on the table: He is seeking to shape us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29). That should excite us! It should drive us to strive toward it with great effort!
We are not, as disciples wholly passive in this process. In one sense the Holy Spirit is drawing us to progress, shaping, convicting, convincing, and correcting us toward maturity. In another sense, we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. We are to progress according to our desire to mature.
Granted, many people would say, “I want to be mature.” No doubt. I want to have 5% body fat and be able to benchpress a Toyota pickup. But if I use my gym time to make a second run at the buffet, you’d tell me that my desire is misplaced.
How?
- Daily Disciplines. Set a system of actions that correspond to your beliefs and goals. Read, Think/meditate, Pray, Write, etc.
- Accountability. Ge tinto a group that is small enough to know you well and bold enough to challenge you when you need (but don’t necessarily want) it. Let them encourage you.
- Community. This is the communal responsibility of mutual dependency. It is you needing others and being the person that others need.
- Service and responsibility. Beyond being, this is the uncomfortable place of pouring out yourself toward others and for Him. Jesus saved us to serve…to fulfill the works He created for us (Eph 2:10). That’s why He saved us! (Eph 2:8-9).
Hold up pastor! I know a lot of people who say they’re Christians that don’t do any of that stuff. Friend, and I mean that…friend: That is not possible. You can’t love Jesus and become what he desires and designed without these four things. No way around it. Maturity is the objective and these four things are part of the way. So…dear friend…do you want to rot your teeth on a baby bottle of milk…are are you ready for the juicy Ribeye of faithful living…
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by chrisaiken | Jul 12, 2018 | church, culture, Devotions, discipleship, Faith, Leadership, pastor, Pastor's Reflections
How do you know the “right decision” to make in life?
- Some would say, “Just follow your heart…”
- Trust the “inner voice.”
- Listen to your heart.
- The heart wants what the heart wants.
All of these sayings could find themselves on the cover of a Hallmark card or in the affirming comments of a Facebook thread…but does that make them accurate?
Can we really trust our “heart?”
Scripture reminds us that, “He who trusts his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26.
This proverb really captures the essence of the tension we face daily in the discernment and decision-making phases of our lives.
First…there is the affirmation of CHOICE that is given to each one. “He who trusts…he who walks…” Here there are two truths: What a man does (his walk) testifies to what a man thinks in his heart (his trust). It is foolish and inconsistent to look at a man’s evil activities and then comment, “but he has a good heart.” That is patently untrue, unbiblical, and unhelpful.
Jesus said, “Out of a man’s mouth comes the meditations of the heart” (Matthew 15:18-19). Anger spews from an angry heart. Attacks, slanders, lies…they all overflow from the percolation of the evil within a man’s heart. Kindness, humility, and meekness rise up from a heart rooted in and committed to Christ.
It is critical to accept this truth because without it we are left with self-help practices of learning to “count to 10” before we speak or some other form of behavior modification. Until we identify the source of the problem we will only treat the symptoms. The prophet Jeremiah helps us to identify the source when he states, “The heart of man is desperately wicked…who can even know his own heart?”(Jeremiah 17:9).
Second, there is the identification of the source of our authority in life. Do we trust in our feelings, logic, leanings, or polling to determine what is right? Aren’t the outcomes of such ideas the billboards of foolishness…the enacting of laws that allow the taking of a living child before birth, but the preservation of a murderers’ life while on death row? In the case of abortion, are we (as a society) not elevating one life over another (the mother over the child) and in the case of death row…the inmate’s life over the offense to the image of God and the necessity for justice?
We choose which authority to rely on: our hearts…or Holy Scripture. Because of our wicked hearts, it is difficult to submit to Scripture, but only God’s Word (the objective standard for truth) can deliver us from the consequences of evil.
Third, there is the reality of consequences. No one draws salt water from a spring, or fresh water from an ocean. You cannot follow the heart and expect protection from the consequences of unwise living. Following your heart leads to a fool’s reward…with one exception: a heart that is intentionally turned to and dependent on the Lord will find its delight (Psalm 37:4-5). To follow one’s heart apart from God’s Word is to live foolishly (as if there is no God but self). However, to bow before the Lord, to submit to the truth of His Word will always deliver.
I suspect we all “monkey around” with the truthful declarations of the Lord in hopes that we can find a way to pursue wickedness with a clear conscience. Such desire is foolish. Choose a wise walk. Follow Jesus, not your heart.
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by chrisaiken | May 2, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, Faith, Leadership
A man goes to the doctor and is accompanied by his wife. They are escorted to the exam room and await the doctor’s arrival. When she comes in, the doctor promptly asks, “What would you like me to say to you today? What diagnosis do you want me to declare and prescribe a remedy for?” The man and his wife are dumbfounded…because what they wanted was an examination and for the doctor to tell them what was actually wrong and simply to treat that condition.
Honestly, the story is fictional and outlandishly so…because who would ever go to a doctor demanding that the doctor simply parrot the patient’s self-diagnosis? Only a fool.
In my time with the Lord today, I re-read the story of Ahab’s demise (1 Kings 22). This verse stood out:
“But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there not yet a prophet of the Lord here that we may inquire of him?’ [Ahab] The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat. ‘There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the Lord, but I hate him, because he does not prophesy good concerning me, but evil…’ ” 1 Kings 22:7-8.
Of course, the verse pointed me forward to the counsel of Paul to pastor Timothy:
1I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:
2preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.
3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,
4and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.
5But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1–5 (NASB95)
The fact is…the man of God is commanded and charged to speak for God and for God alone. If you read all of 1Kings 22, you see that Micaiah’s prophesy was indeed one of defeat for Ahab. It was also contrary to the 400 other assembled prophet’s statements. God graciously revealed through Micaiah to Ahab how this could be so…but the desire was for a pleasant word that uplifted the king…not necessarily the truth and particularly not if that truth was not in the king’s favor! Micaiah was imprisoned on bread and water for his services. The king committed him there as a way of manipulating him to change his tone:
“…Thus says the king, ‘Put this man in prison and feed him sparingly with bread and water until I return safely.’ “ 1 Kings 22:27.
Micaiah the prophet was not persuaded and responded in this manner:
“Micaiah said, ‘If you indeed return safely the Lord has not spoken through me.’ “ 1 Kings 22:28.
People make decisions about the church they will attend and the pastor they will listen to. They make decisions for various reasons. Some, like Ahab, want only to hear good spoken toward them. These are like the fools seeking a doctor to prescribe according to the patient’s instructions. Others, desire truth. They want it straight, even (and especially) if it hurts and prompts them to change. Regardless of the people’s desires…the man of God has but one command: “preach the word,” (2 Tim 4:2) and be willing to cling to it even in prison.
Today, even amidst cultural pressures to be silent or be approving when it comes to sin and faithless conduct…PREACH THE WORD! Be faithful to the One who has faithfully placed the truth within you and love others enough to simply speak truth.
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by chrisaiken | Apr 9, 2018 | Devotions, discipleship, Leadership, pastor
Numbers 20 contains a glorious and dreadful account of Moses’ leadership. It is dreadful (from man’s perspective) because an error in leadership cost Moses greatly. It is glorious because God is exalted above all people and all things.
It is not good enough to simply do the tasks that the Lord commands or the tasks of the hour, but each thing must be done precisely as God prescribes.
The people were grumbling (which is not unusual or odd given the historical record) and God appears at the doorway to the Tent of Meeting, instructing Moses and Aaron what to do. (Num 20:6-7). Moses “mostly” obeys but something is off.
Num 20:10… “Listen now you rebels; shall we (Moses and Aaron) bring forth water out of this rock?” This statement reminds me of James and John asking Jesus, “Do you want us to bring down fire from heaven and consume these enemies?” (Luke 9:54). [SIDENOTE: I have often wondered, “What would have happened if Jesus had said, ‘Sure fellas! If you can do it, go for it!’” I imagine it would have been a humbling experience for James and John.]
In Num 20:11, God responds even to Moses’ rebellion in striking the rock twice rather than speaking to it. God proceeds to meet the needs of the people despite the rebellion of leadership, but what happens next is sobering.
Num 20:12, states: But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you have not believed Me, to treat Me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.” God ties Moses’ actions to two key themes. His disobedience was rooted in a false or deficient belief. “Because you have not believed Me…” is the root. We must recognize that to believe God is to hear from Him and to act on what we hear in obedience. It is not merely intellectual assent, but humble obedience. Second, God declares that Moses’ actions treated God as unholy. “because you have not believed me to treat me as holy in the sight of the sons of Israel…” Moses’ actions, either according to his own wisdom, self-assurance, emotional outburst, or whatever the reason, reduced Almighty God to a voice of a counselor rather than Sovereign Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer. In essence, Moses’ act elevated him in the sight of the people which necessarily meant that God was lowered down by the actions.
As a consequence, Moses would not tread on the land of promise. He would see the land because God is gracious (Deut 34), but he would not fulfill his calling to lead the people to the land (Num 20:12).
Num 20:13 states that God, in His sovereign and righteous actions, proved Himself holy among the people, including Moses and Aaron.
APPLIED: I wonder how often we hear from the Lord HOW we are to act in a given situation and then TWEAK our response a bit according to motives other than precise and perfect obedience.
- Do we know that this is rebellion against God?
- Do we acknowledge that such actions are an affront to Him and an assault on His holiness?
- Do we agree with God that our actions are equivalent to throwing red paint against the canvas of His great Name as He reveals Himself as the world’s most highly acclaimed masterpiece?
- Do we realize the consequences of such rebellion…that we forsake a degree of our usefulness to God and effectiveness in God’s plan? Our willfulness and rebellion against God’s rule and reign is SO SEVERE, that only the substitutionary death of His own Son is capable of settling the debt and preserving our hope in eternity.
We must not continue in rebellion, but willfully choose precise obedience, for anything else is to defame the Lord and steal the glory that rightfully belongs to Him alone.
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