ChurchApplied

Coming To Our Senses

“But when he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!' " (Luke 15:17)

How can we “come to our senses?”

Lost Shirt - Photo by Dimitri Castrique

Have you ever driven in thick fog? You can't see very much, and you worry you're going to run into something. I once encountered fog like this in Bakersfield, California. It was so thick I could only see about 50 feet down the road. As a child, I experienced a similar sensation at an amusement park while trying to walk through a house of mirrors. I was confused because every direction I turned appeared to be the same.

The Devil uses "smoke and mirrors" to scramble our sense of reality. He wants us to believe there's more to sin than there really is. It’s like buying a big wad of cotton candy and thinking we have a lot. Soon we discover it's half air, and it doesn't really taste that great!

Longing for balance and order

The Prodigal son grew weary of the illusive glitter of senseless living. After “pigging out” on unbridled feelings, whims and pleasures, he longed for balance and order. He longed for restraint and calm; for the freedom to say no to temptation; for the ability to go home and eat solid food and be his father’s child.

The Prodigal’s remorse came on the heels of his discovery that he had sinned against his father by underestimating his wisdom and love.

For us today, coming to our senses means reaching the point where we no longer believe anything can be gained by running from God. It means we have lost confidence in our ability to judge and perceive what’s best for us, and that we’ve finally come to believe that being without God is worse than hell.

We come to our senses when we turn our hearts toward home! 

Smarter Than Jesus

"Judas--the one who had betrayed Him with a kiss for 30 pieces of silver--saw that Jesus had been condemned, and suddenly Judas regretted what he had done. He took the silver back to the chief priests and elders and tried to return it to them." (Matthew 27:3) The Voice

The priests had their own agenda and had no concern for about Judas:

"We're through with you, friend. Feel remorseful if you like, or dance on His grave if you want--the state of your soul is really none of our affair." (Comment from The Voice)

 

Caught Red-Handed - Dennis Owusu-ansah

The story of Judas is both tragic and instructive. It demonstrates what ultimately happens to those who abandon themselves to human logic and reasoning. Judas thought his betrayal of Jesus would somehow cause Jesus to trade His pursuit of a spiritual kingdom for one that would impact present reality. So Judas aggressively "assisted" Jesus by what appeared to be a betrayal, but was really an attempt to inform Jesus of His "true" mission. Judas wanted to make sure that Jesus didn't squander the influence and political capital He had achieved. The problem was, Judas thought like a human being and didn't have a clue what Jesus was really up to. Even after being with Him for three years, Judas failed to understand the "spiritual" nature of His kingdom.

Grace was a foreign concept to Judas. When Mary anointed Jesus' feet with her expensive perfume, he was offended. He thought, "How could Jesus let this woman waste that kind of money on His feet, for crying out loud?"

Questions to Ponder

(1) Do I really understand what Jesus is up to?

(2) Is Jesus leading my life, or am I trying to lead Him?

(3) Does Jesus need my help to accomplish His mission. If so, in what way?

(4) Am I ever disappointed with Jesus' efforts?

(5) Am I ever offended by Jesus' actions?

My Prayer

Dear God: Forgive me for the times I've thought I was smarter than You and have relied on my own human logic. Forgive me for trying to manipulate You to get my way. Help me to realize my frailties and blindspots. Give me a better glimpse of your mission and intent for my life. Use me today to glorify Your son, Jesus. Amen!

The Problem With Goats

According to Jesus goats are a problem. At least they represent a class or group of people who are a problem (Matthew 25:31-46). Evidently "goat people" only think of themselves; their needs, their wants and desires.

White Goat - Dreamstime

Goat-people are hampered by a lack of vision--they can't see beyond themselves. Instead of being herd-centric (where they pay attention to the needs of their herd), goat-people are me-centric (it's all about me).

If you were born a goat--which we all are, then you can't do anything to change the fact that you are a goat. You can try acting like a sheep, but you're still a goat. You act and look like a goat because you are! But I've got good news! Jesus runs a "goat conversion" shop where He turns goats into sheep in the blink of an eye!

Jesus used the parable of the sheep and goats to get people to think about their priorities. I am not sure why He chose this motif to symbolize those who are ultimately saved and lost, but it probably made a lot of sense to His immediate hearers who dealt with livestock on a daily basis. Just as sheep and goats represent two different species of livestock, so Jesus used them to symbolize two different kinds of people with two different ways of thinking. There are only two. Either our thinking is God-infused or self-infused.

Which do you have?

The following questions should give you a clue as to whether you are a sheep or a goat.

(1) Am I willing to be used and spent by God for the good of others?

(2) Do I welcome opportunities to help others or do I view them as a threat to my agenda?

(3) Do I ask God on a daily basis to open my eyes to other people's needs?

(4) With regard to my possessions, is my hand open or clenched?

(5) When helping others, do I try to keep score?

My Prayer

Dear God: I want to be one of Your sheep. Change my heart so that I see the needs of others. Forgive me for being consumed with a me-centric attitude. Lead me to someone today that I can bless. Amen

Vaporware Christianity

The term "vaporware" originated with magazine reviewers in the late 1970s/early 80s, originally to mock the tendency of software marketers to attach -ware to whatever noun described the application of their products. Now it more widely describes software that is promoted or advertised before it is commercially available, often to discourage people from buying competing software already in the market (adapted from Answers.com). Those who use this technique resort to the old "smoke and mirrors" approach of promoting what "ain't really there." In scripture, the Pharisees and the scribes were really good at this. On at least one occasion, Jesus called their bluff.

"The Pharisees and scribes occupy the seat of Moses. So you should do the things they tell you--but don't do the things they do. Mind their words, not their examples. For they talk about righteousness and faithfulness, but they are a faithless and unrighteous crew." (Matthew 23:2-3) The Voice

Behind the Mask - by Richard Thomas

Sometimes parents say to their kids, "do as I say, not as I do." That's pretty lame, but there may be times when it applies. The less dissonance there is between what you say and what you do, the greater success you will have as a teacher. To be effective you've got to "live what you teach." Intentional modeling and mentoring is the best way to teach desired behavior.

The church leaders that Jesus talked about here were good at presenting the letter of the law, but they lacked the spirit--which is essential to its positive application.

"They are interested, above all, in presentation: they wrap their heads and arms in the accoutrements of prayer, they cloak themselves with flowing tasseled prayer garments, they covet the seats of honor at fine banquets and in the synagogue, and they love it when people recognize them in the marketplace, call them 'Teacher,' and beam at them." (Matthew 23:5-7) The Voice

All of this makes for good church politics, but it fails miserably when to comes to ministering to people's needs. Speaking of these, Jesus said, "They heap heavy burdens upon their neighbor's backs, and they prove unwilling to do anything to help shoulder the load."

What kind of "leader" are you? Whether you hold a church office or not, you are a leader to someone--a child, a work assocaite, a friend or sibling. What kind of leader am I? Do I "heap" heavy burdens on others through my negative spirit and words? Or, do I generate an attitude of grace and joy?

Today by God's grace, I choose to live without "presentation," without the smoke and mirrors; to be an authentic follower of Jesus who truly lives what I recommend.

An Overly Generous God

Is God too generous? It's tempting to think so after reading the story about the wealthy landowner in Matthew 1-16. Jesus said the kingdom of God is like this landowner who hired laborers to work in his field at different intervals throughout the day. Then at the end of the day he paid them all the same wage. Ouch! That isn't fair.

Field Worker - Pavalache Stelian

Try to look at it from the perspective of the laborers who were hired first. True, they agreed to work for a specific wage. But why would the landowner risk alienating these workers, who had worked the longest and hardest, by giving an equal wage to those who only worked an hour? I believe this story is meant to incite an emotional response.

If we don't feel upset by this "unjust" treatment of the early workers we cannot appreciate the point that Jesus is trying to make--that earning salvation is vastly different from earning a paycheck. It is right and reasonable for employees to expect compensation that is commiserate with the amount of labor rendered. I recently heard about a woman who is suing her former employer because for more than 20 years she was paid less than several men who held similar positions. She was not treated fairly.

But being saved has nothing to do fairness and getting what we deserve. Actually, it has everything to do with "unfairness." When we accept God's offer of free grace we get the opposite of what we have earned. Paul says the "wages of sin is death." This is what we have earned. We are the "workers" who were "hired" at the end of the day. We don't deserve anything! But through Christ we get this unbelievable "paycheck" that we can cash and spend.

"People cannot save themselves. But with God, all things are possible." --Jesus (Matthew 19:26) The Voice