"Little" Things
Be Thou Inspired
"Stand with your arm outstretched, turn slowly around in a circle, and pray for everything you see through your fingers." That was what Lo, a semi-literate farmer, did every evening while standing on the dam around his rice field."So begins a story recently shared with me by a friend. I’ve never reprinted anything this long here before, but I find this worthy of the space. A few of you have already received it by email, now the rest can be blessed by it. Read on.
" With a hoe over one shoulder, he stretched out an arm, spread his fingers and turned slowly on the spot. He looked rather strange, barefooted, wearing a dirty shirt and trousers rolled up to his knees, and his neighbours originally assumed he was performing some sort of Qi-gong exercise - until a group of young boys crept close and heard him praying. He prayed for everything which he saw through his spread fingers.
"He saw his neighbour's fields, and prayed "Lord, bless my neighbour and give him a bountiful harvest." He saw his friend's water buffalo, and prayed "Lord, please keep the animal healthy and strong, because it is so important for my friend." He saw clouds of smoke rising from the quarry in the distance, and prayed "Lord, protect the people there with so much dynamite. Let every stone from the ground you made become part of a house."
"He turned further, and saw the broken windows in the glass factory: "Lord, protect the women in the factory, and let them experience you during their work." He prayed for everything which he saw: inhabitants of a house, the
owner of a field, an animal, trees or dams - he prayed that they would blossom and remain strong.
"Lo was the only Christian in the area, and his neighbours considered his prayers strange. They knew, though, that he was not very bright, so thought he was just a little crazy. Lo died of a heart attack at 51, with no family. One by one, accidents and disasters started to happen in the area: four men were killed by an explosion in the quarry; a young woman lost her arm in an accident in the glass factory; a water buffalo ran amok, destroying important irrigation channels. Finally, the villagers gathered and said "The accidents are happening because Lo is no longer here to pray for us. We know from our children that nobody was hurt and the harvest was always good while he prayed." They discussed until late at night, and decided to find out which God he had been praying to, regretting not having been more interested in his faith while he was alive.
"In order to find the answer, they lit joss-sticks on a local altar. Strangely, the statue of a warrior on the altar fell down every night, its face lying in the mud. Finally, they had an idea: "The god always falls in the same direction." It was pointing to Lo's old house. They went to the house, now occupied by a family, and started to search. After some time, someone called "I've found something," and pulled a small book from under the eaves. They brought the book to the statue, lit more joss-sticks, and wondered what would happen next. That day, a young evangelist arrived in the area, and started to preach in the fields: "Let me tell you about Jesus Christ, brother," he began, but didn't get any further, because a group of men seized his arms and legs, saying "What are you doing, bringing your idolatry here?" As they dragged him past the altar, they heard a loud bang and a scream. They dropped the evangelist, and ran to the altar, where they discovered that the statue had again fallen down, this time on a young woman's leg. While they worked to free the woman, the evangelist approached. He recognized Lo's book on the altar, picked it up and asked "That's a Bible - where did you get it?" The others stared at him and asked if he knew the book. "Of course, it's the book about Jesus Christ, the greatest God, who answers prayer like no other."
"Those were the words the villagers had been waiting to hear. "The book belonged to a local farmer," they said. "We thought he was crazy, but we can see that his prayers were very effective. Please tell us about this God!" The evangelist patted the dust from his clothes and began to speak. He noticed that his thumb was still marking a particular page, at which the Bible had opened when he picked it up. When he looked, he was amazed: 1 Samuel 5, telling the story of the Philistine god Dagon falling on its face in front of the Ark of the Covenant. "I have never had a better text for a sermon," he says, grinning. The villagers, who are now all Christians, add "Our harvests have improved, and the number of accidents has dropped." The nicest thing, though, is that Lo's inheritance lives on. Every evening, some ten or fifteen people stand on the dams, stretch out one arm, spread their fingers and turn slowly on the spot, praying quietly. And everyone carries a hoe on one shoulder, in Lo's honour." (Copyright Open Doors)
If you are like me, you didn’t need to get to the extraordinary events in the story to be impressed. The simplicity of prayer expressed here is inspiring. How easy it is to busy ourselves about generalities and our own affairs and neglect the many small things of life: seemingly small that is.
We have such a limited perspective that it is careless if not foolish to think that anything is of such little importance that God does not notice and care. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)
If God pays attention to seemingly small things, it should come as little surprise to us that He desires us to do the same thing. I remain convinced that from an eternal perspective we will be amazed at the number of times the "small things" impacted our lives and the lives of others dramatically, and confounded that the moments we perceived to be life-changing were in fact essentially non-events.
Today, let us speak God’s word of blessing and peace upon the world around us, for His glory alone. (p.s. Thanks Daniel)
Bible 101
Last time we began taking a look at inductive Bible study. The idea is to set a different goal this year to replace the traditional read through the Bible to study a small portion of the Bible in depth. Reading is great but we are called to be diligent in study!
Last time, I asked you to pick a short book of the Bible to study this year. Yes, all year! There are a number that are six chapters or less. Just imagine what you might gain if you mine one of them deeply.
Your assignment was to read that book 50 times during the month. How did it go? Are you starting to be able to quote portions from memory? Good!
As you read, you should have been reading with your mind asking questions, lots of questions. That will prepare you to take the next step to handling God’s word accurately.
The process involves three important steps: observation, interpretation, and application. Observation answers the question, "What does the text say?" Interpretation answers "What doe the text mean?" And application speaks to the all important question, "How does this meaning apply to me?"
This month we will begin the observation process by constructing "fact sheets." Create a separate sheet for each person, place, event, topic, contained in the book and record what the text has to say about each. Doing this will allow you to consolidate the content about one component of the message.
You will frequently be amazed at just how much you are told about a character or subject. Let the Bible speak for itself; don’t go to other sources yet (I’ll tell you when that step comes). Discover what the text says and means before you start reading what others say it means. Patience!
As you observe the facts, interpretation and application can sometimes be pretty obvious. However, frequently you will have to dig deeper to uncover the layers of truth to be found.
We talked about context last time. It is essential to let the facts determine the context. Our personal beliefs, traditions, etc. should never be allowed to set the stage for interpretation.
The context is determined by repetition: perhaps a word or phrase (or a synonym for them) or a thought or idea. Your observations will produce the facts which will frame the context for you. Be diligent in writing them down. It is helpful to write the reference beside each fact as you transcribe it to the appropriate sheet.
For the next month, take a Sgt. Friday attitude and approach the book you have chosen to study with determination to get "Just the facts."
As you do, write down questions that come to mind, but don’t get sidetracked trying to answer them yet. I love rabbit trails but don’t go chasing them yet!
Start to put the picture together in your own mind. Who is speaking? Who is the audience? What are the circumstances? What is going on? What is the setting in which the action is taking place? What kind of literature is this? How does it relate to the biblical message as a whole?
Above all, bathe your study in prayer. The Holy Spirit is your Teacher and unless you seek His guidance facts will never germinate into truth.
Your diligence will reward you quickly and I hope you’ll become more excited about studying. God’s word is rich beyond measure and you will be blessed beyond measure.
É"What is truth?"
The words of the old Johnny Cash song come to mind as I pose this question. What is your definition of truth?
That may strike you as a silly question, but you may well be surprised at the answer.
The Hebrew word is emeth meaning "stability." The Greek alethia means "not hidden." Those are rather interesting observations in our day of relativism. Truth is that which is unchanging and not hidden.
That is consistent will Paul’s teaching to the Romans. God’s general revelation is clearly evident to everyone. No one has an excuse for ignoring that truth and failing to recognize Him as sovereign.
Truth is absolute and immutable. Ignoring it is perilous yet we live in a time when truth is given no quarter in the public arena. Truth is incompatible with our doctrine of everyone doing what is right in their own eyes.
More and more, my experience persuades me that the vast majority of people do not want truth. At least they don’t want it bad enough to make any effort to pursue it.
One of the greatest threats to truth is not those who ignore it, but rather the complacency of those who profess to uphold it.
We need to constantly examine our own lives to be certain that our worldview is in tune with God’s revealed (not hidden/truthful) order.
It is more than just a little interesting that the word we translate "revelation" is apokalupsis which could literally be translated "unhide" or should we just say truth?
Isn’t it just a bit ironic that the very message God has given us to reveal His truth about the consummation of the ages has been exegeted in such cryptic terms that it tends to confuse people instead of inspiring them?
Let us pray for eyes to see that which God has made clearly evident in His word.
Nehemiah, Builder of Walls
I love the book of Nehemiah. What an incredible story of God’s provision has been preserved for us! There are many lessons we could draw from this story but I want to focus on just one aspect of the first chapter.
We learn that when Nehemiah heard of the destruction of Jerusalem he was distraught that the holy city of God had come to ruin. In spite of the apparent facts, he remembered God’s promise, repented on behalf of the people and prayed.
God opened the way for him to return to the city and rebuild it. Why? Although he was a captive in a foreign land he did not allow his worldview to be corrupted. He served his captors with distinction, but he never lost sight of God’s purpose and order. The rest is remarkable history. Read it!
I use that story to introduce you to The Nehemiah Institute which has constructed the PEERS test which is designed to identify the takers worldview in the areas of Politics, Economics, Education, Religion, and Social issues.
I took the test a couple of years ago and was shocked to see my results. The possible worldview outcomes range from biblical theism, to modern Christian, to secular humanism, to socialism.
If you have the gumption, I encourage you to visit their site at www.nehemiahinstitute.com and scroll down the page to find the link to the mini-PEERS test and take it online.
The results will be mailed to you, but I warn you to be prepared for an eye opening experience. Chances are you will be made aware of just how deeply secular humanism and socialism have become entrenched in your thinking.
Even if you are home schooling your children or if they are in private or Christian school, they are being taught things contrary to a biblical worldview. If you care about such things I strongly encourage you to have your entire family take the online version and then talk about the results together.
If you can get your children’s schools to give the PEERS test, that would be eye opening for them! They should start by giving it to the faculty and staff and then the students.
Spend some time at the website and learn more. If you don’t have Internet access, request an information package from them at 800-948-3101.
If you take the test, I’d love to get your response. You don’t have to tell me your score, but I would greatly appreciate your reaction to the experience.
Humor in the Pew
New Math:
"A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly. "How do you know that?" "Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Bishop said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."Editing: "A boy was watching his father, a pastor, write a sermon." How do you know what to say?" he asked. "Why, God tells me", the farther replied. "Oh, then why do you keep crossing things out?"
OOPS!: "After the christening of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with you guys!"
Innocence: "A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?" "Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago.." "Oh," she paused, "Grandpa, did God make me too?" "Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago." Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't He?" (from the Internet)
Precept Ministries
Although we’re doing a mini-course on inductive Bible study here, you may be interested in pursuing more in depth training at a more rapid pace. Regardless of where you are, chances are there is a Precept Bible Study somewhere close. You can find out where by visiting www.precept.org or calling 800-763-8280.
You’ll prepare daily for weekly meetings to teach you how to study. If you are diligent in the exercises, you will learn a great deal. Chances are you’ll make new friends in the process!
Building Your Christian Library
While it is impossible to keep up with all the "Christian" books being published today (thank goodness!), there are a number of resources that will greatly aid your study and understanding of scripture.
If you have a computer, there are great packages of Bible software containing reference works. They represent a tremendous value. Still, I like to have a hard copy of those I find most helpful.
Each month, I’ll try to remember to tell you a little about one or more of the resources I use often. You may want to consider picking up a copy of your own.
This month, I want to introduce you to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (or ISBE as it is commonly called). This four volume set is pretty much an exhaustive coverage of anything you will find in the Bible: people, places, events, etc. It has been in publication since 1915 and is regularly revised to reflect the discoveries of the ongoing research in Palestine.
You will find the ISBE included with several software programs. The ability to search the contents enhances its utility, and being able to cut and paste the text makes using the resource in Bible study lessons and sermons easy.
Check it out!
The Apprentice’s Journal
Didn’t you love the story of the grandfather and granddaughter? It’s just the kind of thing we can all imagine happening to us sooner or later. Maybe we have our own memories of time with our grandparents, or something cute our grandchildren have said. Either way, those relationships are special, aren’t they?
Our family is anxiously anticipating the birth of our second grandchild in March. What a thrill to be a witness to new life! It’s hard to believe our grandson is headed toward his third birthday already. It seems like no time since he arrived and I reflect on how quickly things change with a constant awareness of how little time we have to influence our children and give them the foundation they need to meet life head on.
It does my heart good to know that our daughter is able to be at home to raise their children. We live in a time where the demands on families are so onerous that the children are often forced to take second or third place as parents pursue career, or in some cases, even selfish interests.
I’m 54 now, but I remember an event in high school like it was yesterday. We were considering social issues and, prompted by the latest issue of Senior Scholastic, the discussion turned to the problems society would face in the future.
Do you know (or perhaps remember) what the number one concern at that time was (1963)?
Believe it or not, the social planners were witnessing such a massive increase in labor saving technology that they were sure that in the future people would only have to work one or two days a week. That would leave the masses with an incredible amount of leisure time and unless their energy was properly channeled, social unrest was feared.
Well, that future has arrived and I don’t know anyone who is at a loss to deal with their leisure time. I don’t know many people who have leisure time!
Somehow, the planners didn’t know to factor in a greedy government that would rob its masters of their substance. In fact, they could not imagine that the masters would ever allow the servants to get away with such a scheme, but the history is
written. We’ve worked one and one-half months this year and we haven’t worked a day for ourselves yet. For most of us, that will come some time in May (and that’s just to pay the taxes we see - not all the hidden ones!).
When you add all forms of taxation, most Americans are paying 60-80% of their earnings in taxes. What is even more telling, is that most of those who are being plundered defend the usurpers who are robbing them. That’s a story that historians will write with a sense of utter amazement.
Why is it that we allow those who are supposed to serve us to rob us of the fruit of our labor and our children of their rightful inheritance?
Some will argue, "It’s the law!" but is it? Are you aware that the IRS has consistently refused to meet with citizens in a public venue to present the law which requires most citizens to pay income taxes? Did you even know that income taxes were unconstitutional? Did you know that the 16th Amendment which supposedly made the income tax legal was never legally ratified?
It is not my intention to turn this into a dissertation on the income tax, or to suggest that you should not pay your taxes. It is an appeal to you to be diligent about that with which God has
blessed you: your sacred heritage of citizenship in this country. It is not a gift to be taken lightly or neglected. It is a sacred heritage for you to leave your children and grandchildren and I pray that you will begin today to inform yourself on important issues like this.
Your elected servants are writing a check on your account to pay for things which you would never approve, and they do so under the threat of physical violence. That is not the legacy I want to leave my family. God’s word demands more of us than that. I trust you agree.
Perhaps some of you tire of hearing this sort of message from me. Believe me, I tire of sharing them. I work and pray for the day when such messages will be largely unnecessary. But for the moment, the Spirit compels me to say and do what few in our society will do..
I beg you to pay attention and to be diligent in the stewardship of your citizenship. Regardless of the outcome, I want our posterity to be able to say, "My ancestors did what they could to stem the tide of tyranny." Right now, we can turn the tide with our labor and our money. If we don’t, our children will pay with their blood. God forbid that should happen!
Till next time . . . Jim