Parable of Soils

This past weekend, Texas governor Rick Perry hosted a national prayer & fasting conference in Houston.  News reports were that thousands came from all over the country.  Some were there to protest - because they think that government and religion shouldn't mix.  Others refused to attend because they don't believe Gov. Perry is sincere about his faith.  If nothing else, it made for some drama in national political and religious circles.

I must confess that I'm one who fell into the camp of questioning Rick Perry's faith.  I mean, he's been our governor (I live in Texas) for years now.  In fact, he's the longest serving governor in our nation's history!  But I've never known much about his faith.  He's never played the Christianity card before.  And when he releases his finances, we see that his charitable giving falls well below that of the average American ... and certainly excludes any obedience to the Biblical requirement for tithing.  Is Mr. Perry a Christian?  Is he a God-fearing man of prayer?  I guess we don't really know.

In all honesty, I think Rick Perry is a good representation of a lot of so-called Christians in America.  There are a shocking number of people who will gladly tell you that they "believe in God."  I long ago stopped being impressed by that --- when I found out that the demons believe in God too!  All kidding aside, I've learned that in order to be a true Christian, one must go considerably further than just believing in God.  And I find myself puzzled ... wondering why that seems to be such a mystery for so many people.

Jesus minced no words when it came to dealing with hypocrisy.  He looked at religious leaders and called them out for their lack of sincerity.  In trying to understand how extremely religious people could actually get it so wrong, I've found it's helpful to look at Jesus' parable of the soils (Matthew 13:1-23).  Jesus provided this parable and then later explained it to His disciples.  But before He started that explanation, He said something that all of us should be aware of.

In Matthew 13:11-12, Jesus said, "The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them.  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance.  Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."  So what was Jesus saying here?

He was saying that the understanding of Biblical, spiritual matters is a gift.  It's a privilege that we dare not squander.  Those who acquire spiritual understanding and make good use of it will get more.  But those who don't will find that the wisdom and knowledge that they have acquired will be taken away from them because they squander it.  Really!

So there are four (4) different things that happen when the Holy Spirit reveals Biblical truth, heavenly secrets and the will of God to us:

1.  Some hear, but don't understand.  And the devil snatches away "what was sown in his heart."
2.  Some hear and understand, but never go deep.  So in adversity, their faith fails them.
3.  Some hear and could understand - if they weren't so focused on worldly matters. So their faith is useless.
4.  Some hear and understand, and they obey.  Their faith is fruitful and strong.

There are many places in the Bible where a certain type of statement is made.  Generally it goes something like this: "Let those who have ears, hear.  And let those who have eyes, see."  Just because you read something, see something, or hear something --- does NOT mean that you understand it.  The fact that you have understanding, knowledge or wisdom does not mean that you'll take it to heart and act on it.

So here's the thing.  Wisdom and understanding are gifts from our heavenly Father.  They're a privilege.  And with them come sobering responsibilities.  It really boils down to this what you know and what you're doing with what you know!

Worship's Basics

There's a song that's been popular among contemporary worship leaders for several years now.  It's called "Heart of Worship."  (http://www.stlyrics.com/songs/m/mattredman20504/theheartofworship929505.html)  It was written by a guy called Matt Redman.  (http://www.mattredman.com/)  You might not recognize that name, but if you like contemporary Christian praise and worship music, I bet you're a fan of his work. 

Anyway, in this song, "Heart of Worship", the lyrics make a profound statement regarding worship: "I'm sorry for the thing I've made it ..."  It's a popular song and I've seen it sung in many different churches many, many times.  But this statement has always seemed a bit odd to me.  I mean, what is 'the thing I've made it?'  Did we do something wrong with worship?  And if we did, how did that happen?  Would it have been purely out of ignorance?  Or are other sinful motives involved --- like maybe selfishness, laziness, or even pride?

Maybe I'm a bit of a fanatic, but like other things in my spiritual life, I've wanted to understand worship as much as anything else.  I mean, let's face it, worship can take on almost magical qualities at times --- as it seems to transform us and carry us away to a sort of Utopian existence.  As I've sought to understand this phenomenon, quite honestly, I've had some serious learning to do.  I love worship music, but I find that the more I grow spiritually, the easier it is to see that I have made it (worship) into something I'm sorry for. 

You see, I have often thought it was about me.  The worship wasn't so much in praise and adoration of God as it was ministry to myself.  Worship made me feel better. You may wonder what's wrong with that.  And there may indeed be nothing wrong with that.  But you and I were made to worship (lyrics from a Chris Tomlin http://www.christomlin.com/ song).  Seriously, that's why God made us!  You and I exist to please Him.  So any time I start to get selfish about worship and use it to strictly feed myself, I've started to make it something to be sorry for.

Now if we don't want to end up singing about how sorry we are for worship that we got wrong, it would seem that we need to learn how not to make those mistakes.  But it seems there are several aspects of worship that must be measured not in terms of what's wrong ... but rather in terms of what's right.  So like many things in the Christian life, it is better to focus on what's good and right instead of on what's bad and wrong.

So what needs to be right about worship?  What must God's people do to ensure that our worship is His worship?  Bear with me while we examine the facts and I'll share the conclusion(s) that the Lord has helped me draw.

Unacceptable worship.  The first time we see a problem with worship (aside from Old Testament worship of idols) is Jesus addressing the Pharisees in Matthew 15:3-18.    Jesus basically rebuked these religious leaders for what He considered to be worship that was "in vain."  In other words, He called them out for their phony religious rituals that were devoid of any real heart for God.  The point I can take here is that even worship that we may consider to be most excellent can indeed be quite unsatisfactory to God. 

What makes worship acceptable?  Jesus said that we are to approach Him as if we were children.  I gather from that that He's looking for a simple approach.  After all, children are simple-minded.  They don't tend to complicate matters to show off their intelligence of hone their skills.  One of my favorite authors, A.W. Tozer (http://www.awtozer.com/), said that, "God reveals Himself to the child-like, but hides Himself from the sophisticated."  So I gather that the more sophisticated the worship is ... the less likely it is going to be pleasing to God.  Said differently, I'm convinced that we must simplify our worship and stick to the basics.

I remember a few years ago I was leading a service in a mega-church here in the DFW metro area.  We have a string of disasters with the band and basically only one guitarist showed up.  No drummer.  No keyboard.  No piano.  No horns.  The situation was bleak.  How could I be expected to lead worship with only one musician?  Clearly I was frustrated and angry. 

So taking matters into my own hands I sat down with the sole guitarist and worked out a strategy.  We had the songs that he could play well, which would sound good with just one guitar.  And then it happened.  He broke a guitar string.  And he didn't have a replacement.  And we had no time to run out and get another one.  The service was about to start.

What happened next was a very humbling and defining moment for me as a worship leader.  I took the stage, announced to the audience that God was not providing musicians today ... and invited them to join me a capella (i.e., without instruments).  We worked our way through some worship songs and some contemplation prayer time as well.  After the service, several people came up to tell me that it was one of the best services we'd ever had.  Go figure.

Just how do we simplify our worship then? First of all, I think one of the key secrets is that pure worship emanates from people who know the character and nature of God.  Jesus said in John 17:23 that this intimate, personal knowledge of Him is experiential.  It's fundamental to the core of who we are.  You see, God is quite personal and intimate. Religion can never accomplish that.

Secondly, we prepare ourselves for important meetings.  Worship is a meeting with the Holy Spirit.  It is an appointment with God.  And like other appointments, these can be disappointing.  In fact, Jesus said in Matthew 7:21-23 that many of us have appointments with Him (on judgment day) that will be very disappointing.  We may sail through life thinking viewing ourselves as Christ-followers.  But when we actually meet him face-to-face, it's going to be very disappointing. 

How is that so?  Look at the people Jesus was talking about (In Matthew 7:21-23).  They are believers.  they are religious.  They go to church.  They engage in regular worship.  They think they're going to spend eternity in heaven.  But their meeting will be disappointing ... because they didn't prepare themselves for all of the other meetings in life.  Are you prepared when you meet God in worship?

Third, authentic worship comes from authentic love.  Love for God and other sums it up.  1 Corinthians 13:1-13 tells us a lot about what love is and isn't.  You could take those words in those verses though and write a great deal more about what love is and isn't ... just based on the criteria here.  So it's very simple, really.  Do you know God?  Do you love God?  If you can get those two things right, there's a good chance you're going to get worship right.

Can someone worship God without knowing Him and/or loving Him?  No, I don't think so.  For you see, the very essence of worship is wrapped up in the knowing and loving.  Without knowing God and loving all that is God, no true worship is possible.  Oh, don't get me wrong here.  You can certainly sing songs in a spirited fashion.  But like 1 Corinthians 13 points out, you'd only be making noise.

Let's you and I get together, and let's come back to the heart of worship.  It is all about Him.  Can you and I now be all about Him as well?

Know That He Is God

We read newspapers and magazines and blogs, and we watch TV and listen to radio, and all this efficient media surveys our culture and tells us that "America is a Christian nation."  To some, those are comforting words to hear.  To others, not so much.  And to a third group of people, perhaps a statement like that is puzzling.  I might fall into that third group.

It may be true that a majority of Americans will self-identify themselves as Christians.  We meet this people in all walks of American life too.  They're not afraid to say, "I believe in God."  In fact, some of them will proudly proclaim that truth as if it were a defining point in their life.  And perhaps it is.  But somehow I doubt it.  I've blogged before on the difference between believing in God and submitting to or obeying Him.  Let's face it, even the demons believe in God.  They just don't want to submit to or obey Him. 

But the character and nature of God are relevant when it comes to our beliefs.  Jesus said that if we love Him we will obey Him.  (John 14:15-21)  In fact, Jesus said our obedience to Him is the evidence of our true relationship with Him.  Those who don't obey Him are those who don't love Him.  (John 14:24)
So it comes down to this, those who know Him will obey Him.  And those who obey Him are those who love Him. 

For some reason, it seems that mankind gets this wrong.  A lot.  I have been reading in the Old Testament, some of the prophecies of Ezekiel.  (He's the prophet God called to warn the Israelites of their impending destruction because of their unending sin and rebellion against God.)  At any rate, I have to admit that sometimes when I'm reading this it can get a little tedious.  I mean it seems as if God just rants and raves on and on, saying the same thing over and over and over again.  I'm sure the repetition is for emphasis.  It's clear God wants to communicate clearly with the Israelites. 

One of the phrases that I see God using quite often is a simple little phrase.  It usually starts with "Then they will ...." or "Then you will ..."  And the sentence is always finished with words to the effect of, "... know that I am the Lord" or "... know that I am God."  Quite honestly, this phrase caught my interest and I began to notice how often God said it.  I was shocked by what I found.

In the book of Exodus, God says nine (9) different times, " ... know that I am the Lord" or something to that effect.  He does it once in the book of Deuteronomy, twice in the book of 1 Kings, and twice in the book of Isaiah.  (This is just my own counting.  There could be even more instances that I missed.)  But the book where God says this the most is in the book of Ezekiel.  There, God says "... know that I am the Lord" at least fifty (50) times!  My goodness, it seems to be a point that He really wants us to take note of!

So why is it so important for God to teach us to "know that He is God?"  I mean, is there a difference between believing in God and knowing God?  Of course there is!  And that is just the point.  We humans, especially in American culture, seem content to believe in God.  I know, I know ... sometimes we're told that's all that's required for entrance to heaven.  ("All you gotta do is believe!")

But it seems pretty clear to me that "All you gotta do is believe!" is not quite a true statement.  There is substantially more that you "gotta do."  If you and I expect God to honor His covenant and welcome us into the Kingdom of Heaven, we're going to have to do more than believe in God.  Rather that belief in us must compel us to seek Him and know Him.

I liken this to the existence of martians or the Loch Ness monster.  You and I may believe that they exist.  But if we really thought they did, we would be compelled to go find them, observe them, etc.  I visited the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC once, and was able to put my bare fingers on moon rock.  It was truly "not of this world."  The interesting thing was that people were lined up for hours to be able to put their finger on a sliver of actual rock from the moon.  That's what true belief does.  It compels curiosity and a seeking. 

Similarly, many of us like this or that.  We have hobbies ... things that bring us joy.  And what do we do?  We seek those things out?  If they're experiences, like fishing or dining out or camping ... we seek to do them often.  We believe that they are good things.  We believe that they are pleasurable and good for us.  And so we seek them.  Belief compels us to action.

And so it is with God.  It is never enough to say that you "believe in God."  Like I said earlier, even the demons can get that far!  But the differentiator here is what you do with that belief.  Is it an intellectual knowledge, arrived at with logic?  Or is it a heartfelt instinct, arrived at with experience?  Any belief in God must move its holder to seek Him, to experience Him and to love Him.  And when that love is real, it will manifest itself in our obeying Him.  For when we know Him and love Him, that's when we obey Him.  And like He says so many times in Ezekiel, "... then you will know that I am God."

Wisdom's Price

King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:16-18 that the more you understand life, the more confrontational it gets. The more that you know, the more imperfection you'll see around you. The more you observe, the more evil becomes evident to you.

So when you set out to comprehend the meaning of life, you must be ready to feel more, think more, question more, hurt more ... and of course do more. Are you ready to pay the price for wisdom then?

There are some people in this world who seem to be more contemplative than others. They're typically not the class clowns or the life of the party. Rather they are the ones who are reading, listening, watching and thinking. They ponder a lot. At the risk of being considered arrogant, they secretly believe that they see and comprehend more than most people. And they're usually right about that!

There is nothing wrong with this. In fact, it is rather a reflection of the reality of God's creation and His work in our individual lives. Some people are smarter than others ... meaning that they are better thinkers. Some people are wiser than others ... meaning that they understand more. (And the two are not the same.)

But God tends to take the most humble and broken and give them the most wisdom. So it is that wisdom is found in the most unlikely of places. Yet wisdom has a nature and character which can be pretty predictable. Simply put, those with wisdom are more impacted by their knowledge than their ignorance. For the rest of us, ignorance can be a pretty powerful force in our lives.

So do compassion, empathy and understanding run deep in your life? If they do, you can take comfort in knowing that God is giving you wisdom. Does sorrow seem to be a common visitor at your table? If so, you can rest assured that God is blessing you with understanding ... and probably equipping you for His service.

Simply knowing stuff can be equated with acquiring data. This a computer could do. But if knowledge is to go deeper and become wisdom, a transforming process is required. There is no doubt that wisdom is valuable. But most of us would do well to be more considerate of its price.

Do you know how expensive wisdom can be?

Serving God

If you're any kind of a Christian (i.e., with any solid commitment to Christ), you probably have some desire to do "the work of the Lord." We've all thought it. Some of us have said it. A few of us have declared our "calling" and made a bold statement about what we think God wants of us. To be sure, serving God is a noble cause. Doing God's work here on earth is something that all Christians really should aspire to.

But what does it mean to really serve God with one's life? I suspect many people would be surprised. It doesn't mean running a church. It doesn't mean writing songs. It doesn't mean starting an orphanage, or working in a soup kitchen. Serving God doesn't require one to adopt orphans, nurse the sick or give large percentages of your wealth. You don't need to bake pies for the church fund raiser, or be pen pals with those in prison.

So what does God want from us? What sort of work is that truly pleases God most. Ironically, it isn't work that pleases God at all. You see, the work we do to show the love of Christ to the world around us should ideally just be a by-product of what really wants. God doesn't want our work. (The Bible uses the term works - to denote all the sorts of things I mentioned above.) Rather God wants our surrender, our submission, our obedience.

We often hear the phrase in our modern culture, "Whatever!" This is precisely what God wants from His people. Whatever He says. Whatever He commands. Whatever He asks. The Lord God wants hearts that are so yielded to Him that we are willing to do whatever --- with no exceptions. We don't get to know all the things in whatever before we agree to it either. That wouldn't be a yielded heart!

Many times we are so in love with God that we want to go out and save the world. We are certain that with God's help we surely can (save the world) too. Those of us who are less sincere in our faith, may feel guilt or other emotions (like wanting approval) that drive us to do good works. But here's the thing: whatever motivates us to good works in God's name is probably wrong.

Absolutely nothing should motivate us to do good works in God's name. Rather it is our unconditional yielding to God's will that will bring about good works (also called fruit). So rather than sit and think of things we can do for God, we need to get to know God.

Psalm 46:10 tells us “Be still, and know that I am God.” God’s people are commanded to “be still” in this verse. The imperative gives a solemn duty to those in a covenant relationship with God — Israel in the Old Testament, but today, it is given to Christians,

What does it mean when God’s own are commanded to “be still”? The injunction is not given to restrict the mobility of God’s people. The duty represents a spiritual disposition that ought to characterize those to whom God’s unfailing promises have been given.

Sadly, there are those who are far from “still”; they “do all the work” and give God some (maybe) of the credit. They believe that by “lifting up their hands” and by “taking courage,” they can survive and thrive by the sweat of their own brow. They can do it all on their own, without any divine dependence.

Here is the irony in this term “be still.” While we must take the initiative to fulfill our responsibilities and live our lives, the uncertainties of living in a world of sin and woe will continually challenge us. Personal initiative is no substitute for reliance upon God.

This command — “be still” — forces us to think on two things: that we are finite, and that God is infinite. That being the case, we need to drop our hands, go limp, relax, and “chill out.” Christian people must take time to come and behold the works, nature and character of God. We do this so that we may enjoy a calm confidence in him who gave us his Son.

This spiritual calm, that God commands, does not come from a lack of troubles; it derives from a steady, deep reflection on the ways God has intervened in history on behalf of his people. And it certainly doesn’t come from one who stays busy serving God. Busy-ness does not produce this spiritual calmness.

So as the world crumbles around us, the call from Scripture is not to get busy and try to save the world from itself. Rather the command is to stand strong --- but stand still — not because of a self-made confidence, not because you are the most composed person in the face of disaster, not because “you’ve seen it all.” Be still because of what you know about God.

It is “God’s past” that provides calm for “our future.” Know that he is God! Know it, not merely intellectually, but practically, spiritually, and emotionally. He is your God. He is the ruler of kingdoms of this earth and the all-powerful Creator of the Universe.

If you are the last man or woman standing, be still. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth will change.

True Christ-followers will not be out trying to do all the things they can think of to serve God. Rather they will be still, prepared to do whatever He asks them to, whenever He asks them to.

Rich Understanding

I've blogged before about rich people. They are an easy target. Our culture holds them in high regard. We seem to be fascinated by rich people and even by wealth itself. The TV shows, the magazines, and other media all feed our insatiable appetite for a gander at "how the other half lives."

Simply put, we want to observe rich people. We like to explore their houses, their lifestyles and more. We like to rank them, and stand in awe of their vast wealth. Now what do you suppose that says about us?

I was reading in Psalm 49:16 the other day, where it says, "Do not be overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases; ..." And yet we are. We are more than awed. We are taken, captivated, fascinated and intrigued. Even the most mature of us Christ followers will talk about how fabulous some one's new house is. We gawk at wealth and it holds its notoriety even in our churches.

Psalm 49:18 talks about the rich man. It says, "Though while he lived he counted himself blessed - and men praise you when you prosper ..." I think that probably is accurate in our culture today. I have yet to meet a rich man who didn't consider himself (or herself) blessed. In fact, in Christian cultures, most of the rich people I've observed happily celebrate their wealth. They believe they're blessed. And perhaps they are.

But the kicker in all this is how Psalm 49:20 concludes this. "A man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish." So it would seem that there are two kinds of rich people. The first would be those who are blessed. The second would be those who are not. Notice that they are both still rich!

You see, the destitute man (or woman) is the one who has riches without understanding. Whom do you suppose these people are? How does one acquire riches without understanding? Aren't rich people rich because they are so clever? Or does cleverness not equal understanding?

No, the dilemma for the rich is to be rich with understanding. In other words the rich are challenged to seek God first. They are challenged to find God's wisdom above all other forms of wisdom (including their own).

So the next time you are tempted to stand in awe of someone who is wealthy, consider their understanding. Is he or she rich with the understanding of God? Does he or she acknowledge God in all of their ways? I may never be able to watch Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous the same way again!

Fear of the Lord

Have you ever thought about fearing the Lord? It can seem like an impossible dichotomy - when we think of loving and serving, but fearing at the same time.

Yet the mandate is clear. The Bible is replete with specific instructions to fear the Lord, cherish fear of the Lord, etc. How then should we understand it?

Psalm 111:10 says that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; ..." Likewise, Proverbs 1:7 tells us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, ..." I don't know about you, but wisdom and knowledge are definitely two things I'd like to be at the beginning of! So what, then, are we to make of this thing called "fear of the Lord?"

To be sure, God is merciful. He is loving. He is forgiving. He is genuinely overjoyed to see us and hear from us. He is generous, gracious, and eager to give us His unmerited favor. But the fear that He demands of us isn't what most of us would expect.

To fear the Lord is simply to recognize God for who He is. When we regard God correctly, we gain a clearer view of ourselves - sinful and weak. When we are in that position - seeing God and ourselves accurately, we will fall at His feet in humble respect. That is fear of the Lord. No more. No less.

Only when we are in that position will He begin to show us the way. It is truly the beginning of wisdom and understanding.

So if you want to acquire this thing called "fear of the Lord," get focused on God. Get really acquainted. Study His nature and character. Learn to anticipate His decisions. Understand His thinking. Know what He values ... and despises.

If fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, then knowing God is the beginning of fear of the Lord.