Author Archives: tombeaman

Who is in Control?

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We pesky humans try to control things.  Even  things that are way beyond our control.  You thought I was going to go off on global warming, right?  Nope, I’m thinking about coming to faith in Jesus.  We can’t control that, especially when it concerns others coming to faith.  Nevertheless, we try.

When I was a kid, my church baptized infants, declaring them saved – at least temporarily.  Then as we approached puberty, they decided we needed a booster shot of salvation.  They called it “confirmation.”  We snored our way through classes, learned how to say the Apostles’ Creed, and we all stood together in church to say “I do” to Jesus.  Bingo, we were saved, they said.  To prove it, they gave us a certificate and allowed us to take communion.  It was not until I was 38 that I discovered that all that carefully planned procedure and ritual hadn’t changed anything in my soul.

On the other side of things are those who encourage others to “walk the aisle” or “pray the sinner’s prayer.”  They have the prayer conveniently laid out in a numbered sequence in the back of their tract.  Good intentions, good motives, but again, a futile attempt to regulate what really is in the control of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t get me wrong!  I am sure that many people have genuinely crossed the line of faith during confirmation classes or by praying the sinner’s prayer.  I know the Holy Spirit can use even those experiences.  And I am not denying that part of the process depends upon our own genuine faith and surrender.  My point is this: we cannot make spiritual transformation happen with our little tricks and rituals.

Peter discovered that early on, as he was telling a group of people about Jesus at the home of a Roman Centurion.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.  –  (Acts 10:44 NIV)

I picture Peter thinking, “Rats! I didn’t get a chance to give them the invitation or ask them to come down front.  They haven’t said the prayer or repeated the creed.”   Of course, he didn’t think those things.  Instead he had his mind blown as he witnessed the people receiving the Holy Spirit.  Which is the mark of genuine spiritual change.  Jesus called it being born again and said:

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.   (John 3:6  New Living Translation)

Paul wrote to his friends, saying:

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,  because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. …  –  (Thessalonians 1:4–5a (NIV84)

God uses believers to tell others about Jesus but the work of making them new is in His control.

Perhaps you are wondering how you can know if you have received the Holy Spirit.  Chew on this and we’ll take that up in a couple of days…

Water Power

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The water bubbles up continuously, constantly filling and refreshing the pool and then flows out through a hand-crafted, wooden trough, dropping onto a water wheel.  The wheel powers the steady turn of an antique flour mill at the Heritage Homestead in Waco, Recirculating Mill PondTexas.

Tail-Water Dumps into Pond

On a recent visit, I was struck by this nearly silent, steady source of power and reminded of Jesus’ words:

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.  (Jn 7:37b–39a).

When a person recognizes the Identity of Jesus, the Son of God, and responds in surrender and complete trust, an amazing transformation occurs as His Holy Spirit is given to live forever in his or her soul.  That Spirit becomes a Spring of “living water” flowing up from within.  He refreshes and cleanses, informs and guides us.  He restores our living connection with Almighty God.  But this Flow of living water also empowers us to do what we are intended to do.  He does so in a silent, steady way.  It may not seem like much at first – no screaming machinery or belching smoke – but we can learn to rely on this Source of power, day by day.

Quotes: The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

No Points, No Point

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“No wait! Please don’t sit there!”  The guest was unaware that, since their son, Jim, had been deployed to the Middle East, they set a special place for him at their dinner table.  No one sat there.  They made that rule to honor his service and act out their yearning for his return.  The end slice from the roast was Jimmy’s, too.  “We don’t eat that, not until Jimmy comes home.” 

Which, one day, he did, along with a buddy from his unit.  When that friend unknowingly sat in the special chair, no one said a word. It no longer mattered because their son was home.

Many dietary restrictions and rituals of the Old Testament were established to prepare people for the coming of God’s Son as Messiah.  But the purpose of those practices was fulfilled with the arrival of Jesus.  That is why followers of Jesus no longer practice much of Jewish rituals.  It is not that they were meaningless or wrong but that their purpose has been fulfilled in Christ.  Even the most solemn Day of Atonement has been fulfilled by the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus said,
  17  “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.   –  (Matthew 5:17)

Speaking of those ritualistic practices and restrictions, Paul wrote:

  16  Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day.   17  These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.   –  (Colossians 2:16-17)

If the fictional family above had continued to insist no one sit in the special chair or eat the end slice, thinking that somehow that would serve as a way they could participate in or pay for Jim’s service, it would resemble the illogical actions of those who turn the old rituals into a kind of discipline or means of penance.  But that, too, misses the point:

…   23  Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.  –  (Colossians 2:23)

There’s no point in doing that stuff and you don’t score any points, either.

Mo Bettah

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There wasn’t much my mother and I agreed on during my adolescence.  Especially music (Yeah, I know: big surprise…).  She was into lofty, classical refinements; I tended toward Four Strong Winds and Mr. Tambourine Man.  So when she announced that she had bought me a ticket to a performance at the local university, I groaned and protested.  With great reluctance I slumped down the dusty halls of academia, preparing to sleep my way through some tedious Elizabethan minstrels or something.  But it was legendary blues great, Josh White playing!  Far from being tedious, he held the audience captive with his plaintive, rich baritone voice.  His soulful guitar work, replete with amazing, raspy slide licks with his leathery thumb, put the whole experience over the top.  An experience I almost missed because I assumed I knew what to expect.  Score one for Mother. 

So frequently when I try to communicate the exhilaration and joy I’ve found in Jesus, I am met with the same indifference.  Usually, I am convinced, it is because they hear the name, Jesus, and immediately associate it with dusty, boring, irrelevant religion.  But I’m talking about lighting the afterburners on life and blasting into a whole different reality.  

Of course, this is nothing new; you can hear a bit of similar frustration in Paul’s words:

“I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
  –  (Colossians 2:1)

He goes on to say that the purpose for his struggle is:

“… so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ,  in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”
  –  (Colossians 2:2b-3)

If you have kept yourself a safe distance from Jesus because of dull religious experiences (or worse), don’t let what you assume you know keep you from experiencing the “One in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge!”

Powered Up by Hope

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Why is it that some people complain all the time, while others seem to boost the spirits of those around them?  Why are some folks suspicious and grumpy and others just seem happier on the inside?  One of the differences is an attitude of hope, a joyful, optimistic expectation of good things coming. 

But what is the best object of hope?  I’d say it’s heaven.  Paul once told some people he had heard about their “…faith and love that spring from the hope that is stored up for you in heaven and that you have already heard about in the word of truth, the gospel.  –  (Colossians 1:5)

Don’t misunderstand: these were no Pollyanna types with saccharin-sweet, vapid smiles, aimlessly drifting through life by pretending things would be better in heaven.  This was no “pie in the sky, by and by” crowd.  These were people bearing up under the harsh realities of vicious persecution.  But with hope from which their faith and love sprang forth!

So, how could they, or we, know that hope for heaven is anything more than wishful thinking?  Jesus tells us, in the strongest and simplest terms, that’s how..  Speaking of heaven, He said,

“…if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.”  –  (John 14:2b)

That is my favorite line in the Bible.  Jesus didn’t lie to people, fostering false hopes.  One of His trademark expressions was, “I tell you the truth!”  Following Jesus comes with real hope, hope for eternal life in heaven.  If it wasn’t so he would have told us.  And hope just makes everything else better.

Real Wealth

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Do you want to be wealthy?  The secret  is feeling like you have enough.  Wealth is not measured by the numbers you see when you check your bank account.  It is measured by how contented you are.  It does no good to have lots of money, as so many do, if you feel poor and continually stress about not having enough.  Far better off are those who own comparatively few possessions and yet feel truly contented.

Here are the words of one such person, the apostle, Paul:

“… I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.  I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.”  –  (Philippians 4:11b-12)

Paul lives with joy and confidence, the attitudes we assume go with having wealth.  It’s because he knows the secret to contentment.  If you learn that secret, you, too, will feel wealthy. And what is the secret?  It is trust, trust in God’s love and ability to provide.  Paul says:

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” –  (Philippians 4:13)

That kind of trust doesn’t come from merely memorizing that verse and quoting it.  It comes from developing an ongoing awareness of God’s presence and His interactions in the details of our lives.  A good way to strengthen that awareness is to ask God to show Himself to us in tangible ways.  We can ask Him to make us more aware of His presence as we go through our day.

God loves to answer prayers like that.

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”  –  (Jeremiah 29:13)

And as He does, you will grow in trust, contentment, and the realization of how truly wealthy you are in Him.

Let’s Get it Straight

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The Burning Man festival prides itself on escaping the constrictions of rules and laws.  And yet, when they construct the enormous, fanciful structures, they pay strict attention to the laws of physics and safe engineering.  They have a committee to inspect all the vehicles of odd design to be certain they are safe.  Go out into the wilderness and indulge in all kinds of wild and crazy excess, but even out there, there are some laws you ignore to your own peril.

One of the metaphors in the Bible for those kinds of laws is a plumb line.  Builders know that if you don’t build walls perfectly plumb (straight up and down), eventually they will topple; your whole building will lie in ruins. Almost plumb doesn’t work.  Plumb means perfectly plumb.  Consider these verses from Isaiah:

  So this is what the Sovereign LORD says:  “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.
  I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line…  –  (Isaiah 28:16-17a)

If a nation or people wants their “house” to stand, they must build it plumb with justice and righteousness.  History has proved this repeatedly.  Therefore, what does the future hold for a country who complacently chooses leaders who are known for dishonesty and greed? 

It would be good for the people of that country to realign themselves with the “foundation stone” laid by God, Jesus Christ.  He is tested and true.  “The one who trusts (in Him) will never be dismayed (by the collapse of his or her “house.”).”

Skinning Your Spiritual Knees

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Learning to ride a bike involves skinning a few knees.  Most kids, after successfully riding a few feet without falling, look up and shout, “I can do it! I can do it!”  –  that , just before they dump the thing, trying to avoid the neighbor’s dog.  Dad runs along beside the bike, shouting encouragement, but he cannot actually teach a child how to ride.  He can describe what to do, but balance, the skill that makes bike riding work, has to naturally and gradually emerge from inside the life of the one who is learning.  Balance is built in to their system; they just need to learn how to use it.

Learning to follow Jesus is a lot like that.  Most of us skin our knees repeatedly in the process.  We default to our old habits, which don’t work, and we crash.  It can be discouraging.  So we say things like, “I should be better; I shouldn’t make the same mistake over and over again.”  And the biggie: “Maybe I’m not really a real Christian.”  But remember this:  Christlikeness, like balance, can be described but it cannot be taught.  It does not show up instantly.  It emerges gradually as a natural consequence of the Holy Spirit coming to live in the believer.  That’s why Paul said this:

In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy … being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.(Philippians 1:4–6 excerpts)

If you have followed Jesus by faith, God is going to make the changes in you. He is not going to be rushed in His work.  He also isn’t going to quit until you are finished.  God doesn’t give up.

So then, if God is going to do the work, what is our part?  Should we just passively wait until He makes us to be like Christ?  Nope.  That would be like waiting for balance to show up before we try to ride a bike.  Our part is to pay careful attention to what God is telling us, climb on this new life and try once again to take it for a spin.  See if we can get further down the road before the next crash.  And don’t sweat the skinned knees.  Paul said it like this:

“…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.“  –  (Philippians 2:12b–13).

Quotes: The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Where’s the Path?

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It’s a hollow, panicky feeling when you are in the back country, hiking along and suddenly realize you are not on the trail.  You look around, trying to spot the path, unsure of where you lost it.  You start backtracking, bushwhacking and stumbling, until at last you see it.  Once you are back on the trail, the hike is so much easier, and it reliably leads to the place you are trying to get to.   Lose the path and you are on your own.

David was a shepherd and spent a lot of time in the back country.  He knew about paths.  As he became more acquainted with God, he realized the truth about paths was also true with God’s paths.  He wrote:

Show me your ways, O LORD,
teach me your paths;
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my Savior,
and my hope is in you all day long.  –  (Ps 25:4–5)

If you follow God’s paths, the journey is easier and reliably gets you where you want to go.  Leave the path and you are on your own.  It’s true for individuals and it is true for whole nations.  The nation of Israel had to learn that lesson repeatedly.  They would leave the path, fall into ruin, go back and find the path, recover, and then quickly forget.  The cycle would begin again.  I am convinced we in the US are in the process of learning this same lesson.

Quotes: The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). . Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Bribing God

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Remember this song?

I’ll give you jewelry and money too
That’s not all, all I’ll do for you
Oh, if bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me
                                                    (Sam Cooke – Bring It To Me)

Great song, but lousy concept.  Because you can’t buy love.  The Beatles almost had it right with “Can’t buy me love…”  But, even in that same song they sang:

I’ll give you all I’ve got to give
If you say you love me too
I may not have a lot to give
But what I’ve got I’ll give to you
                                                          (The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love)

Bribing someone to love you is illogical on its face.  And yet, the default posture we humans adopt before God is this:  I’ll pay whatever You want if You will love me.  That is the core idea behind all man-made religions.  Here’s an example from the Old Testament book of MIcah:

6 With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?  (Micah 6:6–7  –  NIV84)

God already and always loves us like a father.  Imagine if one of your children got the idea you didn’t love him and offered to pay…   It’s offensive, isn’t it?  God does not need for us to pay Him with any of His possessions.  So then, what does He want?  This:

8 He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.  (Micah 6:8  –  NIV84)

God wants us to stop hurting  one another and ourselves.  He wants us to live with a humble awareness of Him, Who gave us life, Who made this world and Who knows how to live in it.

One last thought.  Eventually a payment was made for sin, the most costly one suggested above – the sacrifice of a firstborn Son.  But it was not a bribe, but a punishment that balanced the scales of justice.

And it was God Who paid.

Because He loves us that much.