Let Losses Inspire You to Keep Running

Since the first of this year, I’ve had to say goodbye to several longtime friends who have left this life and gone to be with the Lord. The latest of those departures took place just last week. I’m not referring to relatives – that can be a whole other level of loss and grief. These were brothers in Christ, in some cases colleagues in ministry, with whom I’ve journeyed over many miles along the pathway of life. And some of those miles were challenging ones. I never served in the military, but I understand there can be a special bond between soldiers who fought together during times of war. I feel similarly about some of these particular men due to certain circumstances in which we found ourselves. We fought side-by-side as we faced some rather difficult conflicts and challenges along the way. We prayed together, agonized together, counseled one another, and supported each other as we sought to follow what we believed to be God’s will. In a sense I feel like I’ve lost my “band of brothers” with whom I shared some unique experiences over the years.

Whenever we encounter such losses, especially when we feel like we’re increasingly having to go it alone, it can be tempting in our grief to get discouraged or not to stay the course. However, I would suggest that the moving on of these departed loved ones to their eternal home should provide us with even more incentive to remain faithful to the pathway God has called us to follow.

I’m reminded of the various individuals mentioned in the eleventh chapter of the book of Hebrews. They are commended for their faith and the manner in which it caused them to face certain challenges in their lives. As the next chapter opens, it refers back to those heroes of faith by saying, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1). In other words, the lives and testimonies of those faithful ones who are no longer with us should inspire us to follow their example. As they ran their race well until they reached the finish line, so should we. I don’t know that this is suggesting they are “witnesses” in the sense of watching what we’re doing, but their example is a witness to how we should be continuing to follow in the pathway they’ve laid out for us.

 Let’s honor those who have run the race with us by continuing to run it ourselves. The torch or baton has been passed along to you and me now. Let’s be willing to keep fighting the battles. Let’s be faithful to stand up for what’s right. Let’s stay true to God’s Word. Let’s keep the faith and finish our course. Our company of fellow-soldiers may seem like it’s growing smaller. However, our Commander who is as mighty and capable as ever is still leading the way.  And He can fight effectively whether the numbers of His followers are few or many. Additionally, there may be new recruits who are looking to you to lead the way now. Your example could end up inspiring them to be good soldiers for Christ.

Losses are going to come, especially as we get older. The ranks may seem to be diminishing. Nevertheless, let’s use that fact as an incentive to honor the memory of those who served with us by fulfilling our mission and being faithful to our God.   

 

Watch Out for Mispronunciations of God’s Word

Maybe you’ve seen the TV commercial where a little girl repeatedly mispronounces the name “Pinnacle” as “piccanel”. Some of our kids made a few of those types of blunders too, such as referring to spaghetti as “pasgetti” or to a blanket as a “lambert”. It can be cute when a young child twists words in those ways. However, I have to admit that those commercials have become a little annoying, especially when you realize the girl is now old enough to know better and that the initial cute slip-up has become merely a staged ad campaign.

It’s a much more serious matter to mispronounce what God says. And it’s being done regularly and loudly in our day. I’m not talking about people disagreeing with God’s Word, but those who take what God has spoken and twist it or declare that He’s actually saying something different from what He clearly states. Ashamedly, many of us are joining right in with the erroneous pronouncements, either because we don’t know any better, we prefer the alternate versions, or we’re afraid to face the possible consequences of daring to stand by the obvious teaching of God’s Word. Here are a few prominent examples.

Acts 4:12 declares in reference to Jesus - “Nor is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” The Bible doesn’t speak of adherents to other religions as “brothers” or “sisters” who serve the same God we worship. They are considered spiritually lost apart from Christ. They are condemned as worshipers of false gods and as idol worshipers. Jesus declared that He is the only way to God, yet many today are suggesting that His declaration didn’t mean what it sounded like. Somehow they mispronounce “I am the way” to “I am one of many ways.”

Furthermore, God’s Word declares that He made humanity in two genders, male and female, a truth which Jesus Himself affirmed – “But in the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female” (Mark 10:6). It’s a severe twisting of a truth which is based on God’s Word, biology, and unbiased common sense to suggest that there are more than two genders. Nevertheless, many are turning away from reality and embracing such notions, even crediting God for creating people in those ways.

That particular mispronunciation of God’s Word likely stems from another one – the idea that homosexual behavior is not condemned by God. In describing an ungodly society, God’s Word states, “God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, turned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful” (Romans 1:26-27). Yet we’re being told today that this clear statement condemning this practice doesn’t really mean what it says.

Let’s not forget one more example, one which I’m sure I’ll encounter this week – the idea that love can’t accompany disagreement or correction. God’s Word says, “For whom the Lord loves He chastens” (Hebrews 12:6). However, if we love people enough to tell them the truth or to correct them, we’re accused of hating people. God says that we can and should speak the truth in love (see Ephesians 4:15).

  If people don’t like what God says, they should just admit it. But they shouldn’t mispronounce what He clearly says about certain subjects and claim that their view is in harmony with Him and His Word. A child’s little honest mistake of mispronunciation is amusing, but an adult’s intentional misrepresentation of God’s Word isn’t. More of us need the honesty and courage to pronounce His Word correctly.

 

God’s Ability Has Not Been Diminished

If you patronize certain businesses these days, especially restaurants, you really have to pack your patience. Most of it is due to their being shorthanded. I won’t get into all the reasons why people aren’t choosing to work those jobs, but the lack of staff certainly affects the quality and timeliness of service. In spite of plenty of empty tables, it takes longer to be seated, to place orders, to receive your food, and to take care of the check. Don’t blame the servers. As a matter of fact, we ought to be expressing our appreciation even more to those overwhelmed workers. They’re often doing the best they can under the circumstances. They just don’t have the manpower to do what they used to do in the same amount of time.

It reminds me of the question the Lord asked Moses on one occasion. After God had led the Israelites into the wilderness after delivering them from their slavery in Egypt, the people complained about not having meat to eat. When God promised to provide an abundance of what they were requesting, Moses questioned His ability to fulfill that vow. God responded by asking him, “Has the Lord’s arm been shortened?” (Numbers 11:23). God was more or less asking, “Am I not as powerful as I have been in the past? Has my ability to do great things decreased since I brought those plagues on Egypt and parted the waters of the Red Sea?” The implied answer was “no”. God was not short-armed or shorthanded. He could still do great things, no matter how difficult the challenge. His power and resources had not diminished.

We may be tempted to wonder the same thing at times. Today’s world seems to have an abundance of challenging problems in the realms of nature, social issues, politics, and the spiritual climate in which we find ourselves. Are these difficulties beyond God’s capability to deal with? Why don’t we witness Him doing more great things in connection with these challenges? Is He still able? Is He not willing? Where is the God who can part waters, control plagues, and bring revival? “Has the arm of the Lord been shortened?”

God has not grown weaker. Neither is He shorthanded when it comes to sending out angels to do His bidding. Today’s challenges aren’t any more insurmountable than some others He has overcome throughout history. We may be tempted to blame God or to get impatient with His apparent slowness or reluctance to act. However, maybe the problem isn’t with God, but with us.

Consider another scripture: “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2). Our world is not enduring the results of a weak God, but the results of our sin that has separated us from Him. We’re not doing what we need to do in order to restore the relationship that would allow a great God to graciously and powerfully act on our behalf. There needs to be a turning away from our ways and an embracing of God and His ways, both by the world and by the Church. We need to humble ourselves before the Almighty and submit ourselves completely to Him.

So it’s not that God isn’t able or willing to do what’s needed today. He’s moving in mighty ways to try to get us to take appropriate action. The question isn’t about what God can do. The most relevant question is “what will we do?” 

 

God’s Word Isn’t Intended to be Edited

I was scrolling through Facebook when I quickly skimmed past an advertisement for church bulletins. As what I thought I had seen in that brief moment sunk into my mind, I decided to scroll back up to make sure I had understood it correctly. I soon discovered that I hadn’t. The company was selling “editable” church bulletins, which means that they can be revised or that local church information can be added to the template. However, I had misread one word, thinking it was advertising “edible” bulletins.

After laughing at my mistaken notion, I began to wonder if maybe some creative person should actually invent such a product for churches. It would certainly help resolve the problem of people always leaving their bulletins behind in the hymnal rack. Just eat them instead. It also might provide a nice snack for unruly toddlers during the service. Those edible versions could even come in different flavors for the various seasons, such as candy cane flavored around Christmas. It’s an interesting idea, but probably wouldn’t work, especially for those of us who still discourage people from having food or drink in the sanctuary. We would have to post a sign: “Be sure to eat your bulletin before entering the sanctuary.”

When it comes to God’s Word, I’m afraid we’re facing almost the opposite situation. Too many people seem to consider it to be “editable” rather than “edible”. However, we’re not meant to take on the role of being editors of the Word of God. The Bible isn’t open to our additions and subtractions to its text. We can’t choose which parts to keep and which ones to dispose of. I believe more people need to take seriously the warning given near the end of the last book of the Bible about not adding to or taking away from its words (see Revelation 22:18-19), a warning which I believe applies not only to the book of Revelation, but to the entire Bible.

There are those today who edit the Bible to fit their views, opinions, or preferences. They may not change the words, but they suggest a different meaning from what it is clearly stating or the way it has been traditionally interpreted since the days of the early Church. They sometimes latch on to some obscure possible meaning of the Greek or Hebrew word involved in order to make the text say what they want it to say or to fit in better with our society’s current values. Don’t get me wrong. We need to understand the context of Scripture, as well as to discern what’s meant to be taken literally or figuratively. We can gain insights from studies of the original languages in which it was written. And traditional views aren’t infallible simply because of their longstanding acceptance. However, too many people aren’t really pursuing truth in these matters, but rather are trying to find ways to justify their own opinions. They’re not really interested in what God says or are willing to submit to His wisdom. They’re only intent on furthering their own agenda.

God’s Word is not “editable”, but is meant to be “edible”. We need to feed on the truth of what God has revealed. We need to receive it as we would a nourishing meal. Some of it will taste sweet to us, while other parts my be hard to swallow. Some of what God tells us can be painful, especially when He shows us our own faults, shortcomings, and sins. It’s hard when we have to admit that our ideas are wrong and submit to His wiser ways. Nevertheless, let’s not dare to take it upon ourselves to try to change His Word. Let’s eat it, feed on it, and let it change us.