And Now For The Retainer!

Y

ou can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  I know from personal experience.  Like so many other teenagers, I wore braces on my teeth for almost three years.  I had a cross-bite that needed to be repaired and so I sat still while my orthodontist wrapped my pearly whites in tinsel and wire.  At first, they were a novelty but I soon understood why they told me to get something to eat as quickly as possible.  In just a matter of a few hours, my mouth was very sore; so sore that chewing bread was impossible.  What had I gotten myself into, I wondered.

For the next three years, I visited the orthodontist regularly and endured all the changes and adjustments he made to my teeth as we marched toward that elusive day when the braces would be removed and my teeth would at last be straight.  Finally, the long-awaited day came.  The braces were removed, my teeth were cleaned, and I was able to eat apples—not apple slices—once again.  I remember biting into a big Granny Smith apple, sinking my teeth in and pulling a huge chunk away from the core.  It felt great!!

But my ordeal wasn’t quite over. On my next visit to the orthodontist I was fitted with a retainero

I was I that I wore for the next two years.  As I understood it, the retainer’s job was to hold my teeth in the proper position, discouraging and preventing them from moving back toward the wayward condition in which we found them.  It all came down to my willingness and my faithfulness to wear that retainer.  The success of all the hard work done beforehand rested on that retainer and my decision to heed the instructions of my orthodontist.

It should come as no surprise to us that Jesus spoke about the importance of the retainer.  He knew the value of learning and retaining the truths of God’s word.  Without the retention of these truths, the Christian is tempted to move back toward the wayward condition of sin in which he existed before he accepted Jesus as savior and lord.  Jesus’ words concerning this truth are found in his parable about the farmer who sowed seed and the types of soil into which the seed fell.

This parable is found in Luke 8:1-15.  However, it is verse 15 which is the focus on today’s devotional.  In Luke 8:15, we read this explanation of believers who are considered to be good soil into which God’s word is planted, “But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”  Please take a moment to read this verse in the context of the parable and then read it again by itself.  Don’t read through it too quickly but let the truth of Jesus’ words sink deep into your heart and soul.

Notice that Jesus says the good soil represents those who have a noble and good heart.  He continues by explaining just what those of a good and noble heart do.  They do three distinct things.  1) They hear the word.  Believers in this category listen to God’s word. When they pray, they focus on what God has to say to them rather than on what they to tell Him.  They enter into prayer and into their daily walk with the Lord eagerly anticipating all that He has for them both to learn and to do.  2)  Those in this group retain the word.  They don’t merely read God’s word to feel better about themselves.  They don’t memorize God’s word to impress others, quoting chapter and verse in any and every situation.  These individuals, internalize God’s word.  They meditate on it, the obey it, and they apply it to their lives.  It becomes a part of them so that instead of quoting it, they live it!  There is a vast difference in quoting the Word and in living the Word!!  3)  They produce a crop by persevering.  They trust God in all things, knowing that He is always faithful and that He is always in the process of conforming them to the image of Jesus Christ, even when life is at its most difficult and most challenging.

Of these three steps, the second, I believe, is the most important.  Many people hear God’s word but go no further.  They never make it an integral part of their lives.  They never internalize it or apply it.  They simply open their Bibles, read a passage, say a quick prayer, and go about their lives.  The seed falls on the ground but never enters into the soil!  In addition, unless the word is retained, believers have no incentive or desire to persevere and produce a crop.  It is God’s word in us, applied to our lives, that is the bedrock of our very existence. It causes us to persevere and produce a crop for Him.  But no crop will grow where no seed has been planted!!  It’s just that simple.

Yes, you can learn a lot in an orthodontist’s office.  The work and labor of the braces and the wires is all but lost if the patient refuses to wear the retainer to preserve all the work that has gone on before.  The same is true of the believer.  God has done all the work beforehand.    The question is: Are we now ready to submit to the discipline of the retainer?  The answer is either yes, or no!!

Dimmer Switch Christianity

O

ne of the most exciting events about refurbishing our home was turning on the lights!  We had worked for several months replacing all the old, tattered wiring with new copper wire placed safely in aluminum conduit.  Finally, when all the conduit was in place and most of the wire was threaded, we made the connections, took a long extension cord, and “plugged” the house into the temporary electrical service installed for this purpose.

I will never forget our excitement as three or four lights suddenly sprang to life.  Where once the house had been in total darkness, it was now bathed in bright spotlight.  This meant we could now work during the day or night finishing the restoration, transforming the house into a comfortable living space.

Later, when the house was completed and we put in all the light fixtures, we installed dimmer switches in the bedrooms.  This allowed me to adjust the amount of light in my bedroom according to my mood.  Reading a book, writing, or studying required all the available light the lamps could muster.  However, listening to soft music, taking a nap, or just relaxing, meant less light or no light was needed and I adjusted the lights accordingly. The dimmer switches worked wonderfully and allowed me to control the amount of power flowing so the room became as bright or as dark as I wanted.

Unfortunately, we often apply the principle of the dimmer switch to our walk with God.  We tailor our witness to reflect the mood of the person with whom we are sharing our faith or the circumstances in which we find ourselves.  Instead of sharing from our hearts, we step back and worry how we will be received and we adjust our witness so as not to offend or cause discomfort.  

Too often we water down our testimony or we refuse to speak about Jesus at all because we fear being rejected or ridiculed for our beliefs.  In essence, we dim the light of our witness, trying to control just how much of Jesus others can see in us.  At times we shine so brightly while at others, the light hovers just above a slight glow.  The result is an inconsistent witness, one that is different for different people and circumstances.  This simply must not be!  Jesus has not called us to take a dimmer switch approach to sharing the gospel.

In Matthew 5:15-16 we read, “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”  This passage comes from the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5-7.  In this sermon, Jesus explains his ministry and brings new insights and understanding to the Law given through Moses and the way in which the believer is to conduct himself in his relationship to God.

The verse tells us very plainly that our witness is to be very bright, using the full power of Christ to share God’s love and salvation with all those around us.  Dimmer switch Christianity is not an option!  Jesus never selected his words or represented the power of God’s love in order to reflect a mood.  He spoke the truth to everyone he met and his witness was always the same no matter the person or situation.  This is what he has called us to do as his followers.  We must present the gospel at full power, never compromising its message regardless of the situation, person, or our mood at the time.

A

re we shining examples of God’s love, mercy, and grace today?  Are we allowing our lights to shine full force in the darkness, drawing others to God and His son, Jesus Christ?  When we flip the switch to the “on” position, is it evident that the love of God burns brightly within us or do people have to search very hard to find it because we are using a dimmer switch?  Are we practicing dimmer switch Christianity today?

Constantly On The Move

E

very evening when the lights are out and all is quiet, I lie in my bed listening to the sound of the ticking clock that hangs on the wall in my living room.  All through the day and night, this vigilant sentinel keeps watch over my home, faithfully marking the passing hours.  While the pendulum swings back and forth, the hands move around the clock, marching through the hours with a determined and steady cadence.  This dance of time occurs whether I am present or not.  The clock continually fulfills its purpose, no matter what!

Clocks have always been a part of my life.  Our house was filled with them because my dad loved, and still loves, listening to a ticking clock.  What continues to amaze me is the precision with which these wonderful instruments work.  The most important part of the clock is the pendulum because without its faithful back and forth motion, the clock would not function.  As the pendulum swings through space, it causes the hands of the clock to move around the dial at a steady pace.  Each swing of the pendulum results in the forward motion of the hands as they mark the passing seconds, minutes, and hours.

The real secret of the clock lies in the fact that its parts are constantly on the move.  The visible motion of the hands and pendulum belie the intricate dance of the clock’s wheels, springs, and gears.  Yet the very fact that the hands move with such devotion indicates that the steadfast march of time moves forward from one passing moment to the next.

The Old Testament book of 2 Chronicles reveals the importance of being constantly on the move in God’s service.  2 Chronicles 27:6 is a brief passage about a man named Jotham, King of Judah, who walked in a manner pleasing to God.  “Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the LORD his God.”  But who was this Jotham and what do we know about him?

Jotham’s name appears 28 times in the Old Testament.  His father was King Uzziah who had leprosy.  Uzziah could not enter the Temple and he lived in a separate house, relieved of his responsibilities.  Jotham represented the people and ruled for his father.  When his father died, Jotham became King of Judah.  He rebuilt the Upper Gate of the Lord’s Temple.  He was 25 when he became king and he reigned for 16 years.  He conquered the Ammonites and they paid a tribute to him for 3 years.

But what we know historically about Jotham does not compare to our scripture passage today.  Notice that there is a direct correlation between Jotham’s power and his walk before God.  In the Old Testament, walking before the Lord meant to please Him on a consistent basis.  Like a clock’s pendulum swinging back and forth, walking also requires constant movement, placing one foot in front of the other. The goal of walking is to move forward, to go from one place to another in a methodical and determined pattern.  Walking before God is a commentary on a person’s life and Jotham’s life was pleasing to God.  We know this because the Scriptures also say that Jotham increased in power and that his walk was steadfast.

This is always true of a man or woman today who walks with God.  The word steadfastly means determined, continually, and consistently.  God wants us to walk with Him on a daily basis, always looking to Him for all our needs, always communicating with Him in every situation, and always walking forward with Him as we mature in our faith.  When we walk with God in this fashion, we find that our spiritual lives become more powerful, that our relationship with God grows ever deeper, and that our faith and trust in Him grow ever stronger.

W

hat do the hands of your spiritual clock tell you about your walk with God today?  Is your pendulum swinging, marking out a constant rhythm, making the spiritual gears of your life turn?  Are the hands of your spiritual clock indicating that you are moving forward, growing and maturing in your walk with God?  Or do the pendulum and the hands show no movement, showing that your forward momentum and your walk with God have stopped?  If this is the case, don’t rest until you talk with God and have your clock rewound.  Remember, in order to please God, you must spend time with Him.  Are you constantly on the move today?

Stay On Course!

O

ne of the joys and privileges of owning a car is maintenance!  Every time I turn around it seems something needs to be done to my car.  I have the oil changed regularly, I have the engine tuned, I have all the belts and hoses checked, and I make sure the tires get rotated every 5,000 miles.  With all these things to maintain, it’s no wonder the thrill of driving sometimes loses its appeal.

One Saturday morning, I took my car in for a regular oil change.  While I was there, I also decided to purchase a new set of tires since the ones on my car were beginning to show the wear and tear of the road.  The salesman was very knowledgeable and extremely polite and helped me pick out the best tire for the car within my budget.  We went to the counter to complete the order and he suggested I have my car aligned.  This made perfect sense!  The new tires would soon wear out completely if the car’s wheels were not aligned to drive in a straight line.

They took my car, put it up on the rack, installed the new tires, changed the oil, and finally aligned the wheels.  I watched this entire process through a large window and drank some coffee while I waited for my car.  They put a set of instruments on the wheels of my car that were designed to demonstrate the degree to which the car was pulling and veering away from a straight line.  According to what those instruments showed, the mechanic knew in which direction to adjust my tires so they would all work in perfect unity.  This ensured that no one tire would carry more weight than any other and that all of the treads would wear evenly as I drove.

Throughout this entire process, I was most impressed with the instruments used to test the alignment of my car.  They were designed to show the variance between my car’s idea of a straight line and one that was truly straight.  The instruments are always right and serve as the standard against which my car is measured.  Any variance from that standard spells difficulty for my car and added cost for me somewhere down the road.

The Apostle Paul also understood the necessity for alignment.  Paul, however, wasn’t thinking about aligning the wheels of a chariot, a cart, and certainly not a car.  What he had in mind was the alignment of the heart and soul.  He knew that unless we get properly aligned in our relationship with God, we will have great difficulty down the road and it will be impossible for us to stay on course.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul pens a very familiar passage, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23).  Although short, this verse carries a heavy punch!  Let’s look at what it tells us today.  First, all of us have sinned.  No one can claim that he or she is living a perfect life.  There was only one person who lived perfectly and that was Jesus.  He was and is the glory of God revealed in the flesh.  Jesus is, therefore, the standard against which our lives are measured to see just how far from the “straight and narrow” we are.  Guess what?  All of us fall woefully short of that standard.

If we ended here, we could well become dejected, depressed, and downcast.  But Jesus came in order to offer us the opportunity to realign our lives.  Without him, we drive down the broad road of life, headed for a breakdown, a blowout, or worse, a fatal accident.  If our hearts and souls are not aligned with his, we are driving with defective equipment that will surely lead to our ruin.  But when we accept him as our savior, when we let him put us up on the rack and examine our hearts, when we allow him to push and pull them into proper alignment, our lives get on the right track and we stay on course, following him in a straight path.

W

hen was the last time you had you spiritual alignment checked?  Isn’t if funny how we will make sure that our cars are running properly, following a straight line but neglect to check in with our chief mechanic to maintain proper alignment?  Are you traveling in a straight line today?  Are you staying on course?

Basic Requirements

          

O

 ne of my prized possessions is a large shadow box filled with various patches commemorating my trip through the scouting program.  All the badges are arranged in the order in which I earned them leading up to the highest level of achievement, the Eagle Scout patch and medal.

When I look at this display, I am reminded of all the work required to obtain that rank.  I remember each merit badge, each rank patch, and each skill award I earned.  At the time it seemed I would never finish the program.  Each time I   completed one level, it was time to start on another.  Each successive rank was more difficult and more challenging than the one before and sometimes I felt like giving up.

In order to move from one rank to the next, I had to fulfill several basic requirements laid out by the scouting organization’s handbook.  Each level required a certain number of merit badges, a certain amount of waiting, and a certain level of leadership.  In the upper ranks, participation in a service project was also required, making it more challenging to obtain that rank.

I vividly remember looking at all those requirements and being overwhelmed by them.  It seemed as though they wanted me to do the impossible in order to earn a small piece of cloth.  Reading the requirements always required a decision on my part.  That decision was to continue or to bail out of the program.  Although it wasn't always easy, I continued   and completed all the requirements for the Eagle rank.

Sometimes in our walk with God, we fall into the trap of trying to earn our way into a closer relationship with him.  We become dissatisfied and seek to fulfill more “requirements” in order to obtain a higher rank with God. 

Fortunately, God doesn't work like this.  His word does not lay out a series of requirements we must fulfill in order to gain his favor or to live a more holy life.  We could never do enough work to earn our salvation or to merit a relationship with God.  The Old Testament law

was proof of that.  It was impossible to meet all the requirements of the law and to live a perfect life before God.  That is why Jesus came and died so that we could experience God’s grace and accept his gift of salvation.

But there are certain things we must do according to God’s word. “Aha,” you say, “I knew there was a catch somewhere!”  God only has three requirements, however, that we must follow and they are found in Micah 6:8. “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.” 

First, we act justly when we live our lives and gauge our actions according to God’s word.  Every action, every motivation, every thought we have, and every word we speak must be in alignment with God’s word in order to be truly just. 

Second, we must be merciful.  Jesus himself said that if we would obtain mercy from God, we must show mercy to those around us.  God is merciful.  The fact that he sent Jesus to die for our sins and that he made a way for us to come to him and be his children is proof of his mercy and his justice.

Third, we must walk humbly with God. We do this by first accepting Jesus Christ as our savior and lord.  Then, we walk with God on a daily basis, remembering that we are saved by his grace and by that alone.  We cannot earn it, we cannot buy it, we cannot get it by our own efforts.  This keeps us humble before God, insuring the right heart attitude before him.

W

hen we fulfill these three requirements, our reward is a wonderful relationship with our heavenly father.  He loves us so much, far more than we can even imagine.  He never intended for us to earn our salvation.  Instead, he wants us to accept his gift and to enter into a loving relationship with him today.  So, where are you in this process?  Can you fulfill the basic requirements or are you still trying to add patches to your collection?

$21.63 per Month

T

hird grade was a very big year for me.  This was the year I graduated from simple addition and subtraction to learning my multiplication and division tables.  It was also the year I pestered my dad for a motorbike. 

My best friend and next-door-neighbor, David, received a mini-bike from his dad.  It was great and David let us take turns riding it.  A small outdoors shop had opened just up the street from our home.  Saturday mornings found me in the shop looking over the collection of motorbikes for sale.  These bikes differed from David’s in that they had a three-speed transmission instead of one forward gear.  They were a bit more involved, faster, and I wanted one.

My dad was adamantly opposed to this idea.  However, he was fighting a losing battle.  My mom, and my grandparents were pulling for me and against him.  He held off as long as he could but finally buckled under the pressure. 

He agreed to let me have the bike on the condition I paid for it.  I heartily accepted, agreeing to mow grass in the summer and do odd jobs to earn the money to make the payments.  Dad borrowed the money from the bank and had the loan made out to me.  The payments were $21.63 per month for twenty-four months.  I thought it would be a cinch.  I’d mow a few yards, take out the trash on a regular basis, and do odd jobs around the house.  No problem, I thought, but I didn’t count on a dry spell.

That summer, it didn't rain like I had planned!  I remember asking my grandfather if I could mow the grass.  He just looked at me.  The grass was brown from lack of water and mowing it would have killed it completely.  He told me that I couldn't mow because there hadn't been enough rain.  I simply remarked, “That’s the problem.  It won’t rain, the grass won’t grow, but my payments just keep going on and on!”

This is comical now, but it wasn't funny then!  The lesson I was learning was one of responsibility and keeping a promise I had made to the bank.  No matter what the conditions outside, the promise I had made, the terms to which I had agreed, meant that the money for that bike had to be paid back to the bank, no excuses made or accepted!

Jonah also learned this lesson and he learned it the hard way.  When God asked him to go to Nineveh, Jonah fled in the opposite direction.  He tried his best to avoid God’s call, to run away from him, only to discover it was impossible.  From inside the belly of a great fish, Jonah cried out to the Lord to save him.  Earlier he had made the claim that he worshiped the Lord, the God of Heaven but his actions did not match his words.

From inside the fish, Jonah realized his mistake.  He came to understand that worshiping God meant obeying him and fulfilling his commands.  His words, recorded in Jonah 2:9, demonstrate this understanding, “But I, with a song of thanksgiving, will sacrifice to you.
What I have vowed I will make good”. Jonah had to keep his promise and fulfill his vow to God.

H

ow much like Jonah we are.  We find it so easy to say we worship and honor God but our actions don’t quite fit our words.  Saying we worship and serve God means we have vowed to do His will.  We have promised to give up our wishes and our desires in order to serve Him.  The road is not always easy and it isn’t always what we expected but it is what we promised to do.  No matter the conditions, God expects us to keep our promise.  No excuses made and none accepted!

False Advertisement?

Carp's Daily Tidbits

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Psalm 103:2

Date: Monday, February 23, 2015

Today's Title: False Advertisement?   

Today's Scripture: Galatians 2:14 

Like most people these days, I have a collection of musical CD’s.  My tastes in music are varied, ranging from classical to James Taylor to easy listening piano selections by Jim Brickman. I love listening to my collection and find it very entertaining and relaxing to peruse my CD’s and select a series of albums to listen to while I work around the house, study, or write.

Selecting a CD is easy. I simply thumb through the different discs, looking at the pictures in the front of the case as I make my decision.  I know what songs are on each CD and depending on my mood; I either select a CD or go right past it.  This system usually works flawlessly but, as I found out a few days ago, the CD cases can’t always be trusted.

I was in the mood for a particular kind of music, something upbeat and snappy that would spurn me on as I cleaned.  After thumbing through two rows of CD’s, I finally came upon one that exactly fit the moment.  I opened the case, inserted the CD into the player, hit the play button, and got ready for some “cleaning-the-house-like-you-love-it” music!  I had the cleaning supplies all laid out and I was ready for that first note to provide the necessary mood for the task ahead. 

The very first note I heard, however, was not what I expected.  The music was more like a funeral dirge than a “grab-that-vacuum cleaner-and-go-like-mad” kind of song.  I just stood there dumbfounded, not believing what I was hearing.  I stopped the CD player, ejected the disk and compared it to the tile found on the case.  The CD was something completely different than the advertised artist.  I located its case and, sure enough, the CD I was searching for was inside.  I had switched them at some point and didn't realize it until I placed the CD into the player.  The player read the information on the CD and reveled what was written on it even though it contradicted the cover.

There is a story in the New Testament that goes right along with my experience today.  It involves a conversation between Paul and Peter during Peter’s visit to Antioch. Let’s take a look at Paul’s comments about Peter and this occasion where what was advertised on the cover didn't match up with what was on the inside.

Galatians 2:14 gives us a brief overview of this conversation:  “When I saw that they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it, then, that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs?” At first, it’s difficult to understand what Paul’s meaning is here.  A little background would help, wouldn't it?

The believers in the Galatian churches were under intense pressure to conform to the law and customs of the Jews.  Since the first converts were Jewish, some of them insisted that the Law of Moses had to be followed in addition to faith in Christ.  Paul was very much against this notion and said so throughout his writings. 

Paul’s difficulty with Peter stemmed from the fact that Peter was being inconsistent.  While in Antioch, he ate with the Gentiles and acted as they did. But as soon as a delegation arrived from Jerusalem, Peter changed his tune.  He distanced himself from the Gentiles and reverted to Jewish customs and ritual.  Paul would have none of this so he confronted him.

Peter’s actions did not line up with the truth of the Gospel.  What he portrayed on the outside was not compatible with the truth that lived inside him.  When Paul saw it, he was dumbfounded and immediately wanted to compare Peter’s life with what Paul knew to be the truth.  Peter’s life did not give forth the witness that Paul was expecting. Essentially, Peter was practicing false advertisement; and he was doing so willingly.

This should lead us to examine our own lives today.  When we are placed into many of life’s situations, does the music we produce line up with what we claim to know about Jesus Christ.  Does the cover advertising our claim to be Christians measure up when we are put to the test?  Are we giving those around us cause to enjoy and consider the gospel of Jesus Christ or do they stand dumbfounded, mouths agape because what they see and hear from us doesn't match what we claim to be?  Does the music of our lives match the cover art we show to the world? Are we practicing false advertisement today?