Nathan Tells It Like It Is

Painting of Nathan the Prophet confronting King David: Yahoo! Images

I'm currently working on a sermon about taking action as a follower of Christ.  Too often we sit idly by and do nothing.  Edmund Burke once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  We like to sugarcoat things if we speak up at all.  Nathan the prophet was not such a man.  He was a man of action, a man who "told it like it was."

Nathan was a prophet during the reigns of King David and Solomon.  His name is from the Hebrew meaning "God has given."  He certainly lived up to that name on several occasions.  I'm going to share my basic outline for this sermon as I believe that the life of Nathan is one worth studying!

• The Temple (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17)
• King David announces that he has plans to build for God a temple.  This seems like the perfect idea, and Nathan agrees.
• That same night, however, God appeared to Nathan and told him that David was not to build Him a temple, that the building would be done during the time of his offspring (Solomon).  
• Once we give something the green light, it is an inconvenience (to say the least) to retract that support.  It would've been easier for Nathan to have done nothing.  I mean, David is the King, wouldn't this news anger/disappoint him? Possibly, but Nathan didn't sit idly by.  He relayed the news to the King and David humbly accepted God's instruction.

• That Whole Bathsheba Thing (2 Samuel 12:1-12)
• This is the story that Nathan is most famous for.
• King David saw Bathsheba, who was very beautiful, and arranged for her husband Uriah the Hittite to be killed in battle so that he could take her as his own wife.  David had murdered, lied, coveted, and committed adultery all in one.  
• Nathan could've just stood silent.  I mean, the world today would have you believe "what's done is done."  That's not what he does.  He confronts the King by presenting him with a story about a rich man with many lambs and a poor man with one tiny ewe lamb.  When a guest visited the rich man, instead of taking from his own flock, he took the one ewe lamb from the poor man and sacrificed it for his guest.  David was naturally furious, declaring in verse 5: "Any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!"
• Then Nathan, always honest, drops the bomb on David: "You are that man!" (v. 7)

• Adonijah's Rebellion (1 Kings 1)
• David, the mighty warrior-king, is facing yet another rebellion by yet another son.  Adonijah anoints himself the new of Israel instead of Solomon, the rightful heir. 
• Again, Nathan could've sat by and done nothing.  He could've even joined with Adonijah.  I mean, the Bible tells us that he was handsome, and he certainly looked like a king on the outside.  Yet again, Nathan sides with God and his chosen one of David.

May we learn from this wonderful man and always be honest people of action in this life as we strive daily to follow Christ!

The Race of Life

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If you have ever played any sports, you probably know that the big three (Baseball, Basketball, and Football) are team sports.  If the game is won or lost, it is due to the chemistry between the teammates.  Working together efficiently as a team (hence why we call them teams) is crucial for a team to do well in any of these sports.  Each person is accountable for the other members of the team.  One sport with which this does not apply is Track.  If you win a race, it is because you worked hard and finished the race.  If you lose a race, the fault lies with you alone.  Running track is an individual sport where each individual bears the responsibility for his or her performance.  

Running track is a lot like living the Christian life.  I think that is why the Bible so frequently uses the metaphor of running a race to describe how we should live.  The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Running a race is all about heading for the goal.  The goal in any race is the finish line.  Here the Apostle Paul reminds the Philippian church of this wonderful truth:  life, like a race, has a finish line.  There are going to be hills and level ground, peaks and valleys, but we can’t let that deter us.  We have to keep running, with our eyes on the prize of heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Preparing for a race takes a lot of self-control and discipline.  It is tough to get up early and run that extra mile.  It is tough to eat properly when all of your buddies are eating whatever they want; yet it must be done in order to win the race.  Again, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”   

While it is important to keep your body physically fit and healthy for running track, it is far more important to stay fit spiritually.  My main goals are to serve God, get to Heaven, and bring others with me.  I can’t do that if I’m spiritually unfit.  So I must refrain from the sins of the world and seek to live for God as best as I can every single day!

In every race, there is only one direction to run.  You can’t run backwards and expect to finish.  Living life is the exact same way.  The only way to finish the race of life is to live for God.  There is no other way to run. When you run a race, it can become difficult and uncomfortable depending on the conditions.  Sometimes you may feel like quitting, sitting down, or getting something to eat or drink.  However, once you cross that finish line all of the worry, stress, and discomfort fade away and all you are left with is a feeling of accomplishment.  The race of life throws many curve balls, and it can be tempting to quit.  It can be tempting to stop training and start living just like everybody else.  We can’t do that.  We must stay discipline and self-controlled.  We must keep fighting and racing to the finish line.  Once we’ve crossed the finish line, there is no greater reward.  It will all be worth it.  The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

We must all encourage one another to continue fighting the good fight, keep the faith, and bring as many others into the race of Christian life as we can.   

God, Brian Williams, and Lying

Brian Williams: Image from Yahoo! Images

The latest story stealing headlines is the debacle involving NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.  He is one of the most recognizable faces on television.  Recently, questions have arisen regarding Williams' honesty and integrity in the events that he covers.  Most notably, he claimed that a helicopter that he was on in 2003 was hit by enemy fire when it was not. 

Sadly, in the era in which we live, events such as these are not too shocking.  News anchors are more polarized than ever.  Sensationalism abounds.  The truth is often distorted or forsaken in order to be entertaining.  Simply put: it is hard to trust anyone these days.

How are Christians supposed to conduct themselves in the midst of these things?  It is easy to stretch the truth in order to make something "more interesting."  In fact, I've been guilty of spicing up stories with less than true statements plenty of times in the past.  We have to be careful.  God expects us to be honest!

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. (Proverbs 12:22)

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. (Colossians 3:9)

When one makes the decision to become a Christian, they are making the decision to die to their old self and sin.  Lying is a part of the old life before a person becomes a child of God.  We must be careful each day to be honest in all that we do and say because lying is not a Christian practice. 

How To Figure Out Whether Or Not You Are In Jail

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According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics nearly 7 million people are a part of the correctional population in the United States.  Are you in jail?  Unfortunately, billions (yes—billions with a b) of people all over this planet are incarcerated and don’t even realize it. 

No, I’m not referring to a physical jail cell; I’m talking about a spiritual one.  Living life outside of Jesus Christ means living a life in jail, the jail of sin.  Paul writes in Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”

While it is devastating that there are billions of people on this planet in jail, perhaps even worse still are those who believe they have been freed when they really have not.  A lot of people who profess to be “Christians” and to be free from the bondage of sin have not obeyed from the heart the doctrine of the Word of God.

If you have not truly obeyed the Word of God, then you need to right away!  The Bible teaches that you must hear the good news (that the Word became flesh and bore the sins of the entire world so that we may have hope of heaven).  “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

Once you have heard this wonderful news, you need to take action.  Turn away from the old life of sin that you have been living in.  This is called repentance. Jesus said in Luke 13:3, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” 

Then you need to confess that you believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the Son of God.  “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

Finally, you must be buried with Christ in baptism.  “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) Baptism is a grave.  When you go down into the water, you are dying to sin.  When you go down into the water, your old self is being done away with.  When you rise up from the water, just as Christ was raised on the third day, you are a new person.  You are now in Christ.  You are now out of jail!

Angry with God

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The day was Wednesday, January 21, 2015.  It was my turn to deliver the Wednesday night devotional.  Inspired by Wes McAdam's wonderful article, "Why I Cringe When You Say God Is Good" I decided to talk about how loving, righteous, and holy our God is all of the time-- not just when things are pleasurable.  Little did I know that in 24 hours I would have to live out and put into practice the very message I was delivering.  In the early hours of Friday, January 23, 2015, my beloved grandmother passed away.  

I had a very close relationship with her-- we did everything together!  I loved her more than I love myself.  Not only was she a wonderful example and role model for me, but she was also the greatest person I have ever known.  She had been so sick for so long with Parkinson's and COPD.  I have seen taking a breath become a struggle for her on many occasions. 

Her death was very hard, yet not unbearable.  I never felt that I was over my head or overwhelmed with grief.  I am writing this, not seem insensitive, but to glorify God.  It was bearable because I did not have to bear the whole burden of it.  Like Wes noted in his article, people often make remarks like "I just got a raise, God is good!" while very rarely do we see, "I just lost my job, God is good!"  I am here to tell you right now: my grandmother passed away, God is good!

The harder things get, the more God should be praised.  God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.  A lot of people get angry with God when life throws them a curve ball, but I urge you all to cling even tighter to God.  God is always on your side, and he loves you more than I could ever explain.  

I will leave you today with a few words from King David concerning the time his son Absolam rebelled against him:

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. (Psalm 3:1-4, English Standard Version)

Because of David's sins of adultery and murder in regards to Bathsheba and Uriah, God told David that this type of rebellion would come.  When hope seemed bleak, David recognized that God is "the shield and lifter of our heads."  May we all do the same.  God bless!

Bad Checks

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If I wrote you a check for $1 million, the minute you took it to the bank, the check would bounce. If I wrote you a check for $1 million, I’d have given you something that I didn’t have. I’d have promised you something I didn’t have.
Let’s look at the book of 2 Peter. In chapter 2, Peter is discussing false prophets and false teachers doing this very same thing. These false teachers were writing checks they couldn’t cash.

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” (2 Peter 2:19)

In today’s world, we see many things that aren’t good. We see people engaging in all kinds of sin. As Christians, we know that sin is wrong because we believe in God and His Word. The world would have us to believe that God is not real; that there are no restrictions on our lives. They would have us to believe that we are in complete control and can decide for ourselves whatever we want to do and how we want to live. They say that a world without God is a world with freedom.
Friends, I’m here to tell you, they are writing a check they can’t cash. They can’t offer you freedom. If you took their check to the bank, it would bounce right away. Freedom is not theirs to give. Only God can give you freedom, the freedom from sin.

In this life, we are all slaves. God has given us the choice of what we are slaves to. In this life, you can either be a slave of sin or a slave of Christ. What choice are you going to make?

God: Who Needs Him?

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A very close family member of mine suffered from Parkinson’s disease for the last decade. If you or anyone you care about has PD, then you know how debilitating this disease can be. For those of you fortunate enough to have never seen its devastating effects, let me sum it up for you: it is a neurological disorder where the brain does not produce enough dopamine. Over time you experience severe and uncontrollable tremors in your body. Your strength is slowly evaporated and eventually you are a mere vestige of your former self. However, there is a lot that this disease can teach us about life.

Michael J. Fox, known for his roles on Family Ties and the Back to the Future series, is the probably the most notable person with PD. In his 2010 book, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future, Fox offers some good advice that he learned from having PD:

Parkinson’s is a perfect metaphor for lack of control. Every unwanted movement in my hand or arm, every twitch that I cannot anticipate or arrest, is a reminder that even in the domain of my own being, I am not calling the shots. (p. 84, emp. mine)

While Fox is referring to the involuntary movements he faces due to his PD, his observation still holds true.  One of the hardest things to do is to admit that we are not calling the shots. There is nothing more enticing than control. We love it, crave it, and would do virtually anything to retain it. As human beings, we like to believe that we are in perfect control of everything in our lives.

If you’ve ever watched television, then you’ve seen this scenario play out a dozen times: a seemingly untouchable leader’s power slowly begins to erode and another person anxiously waits to snag it. The outgoing leader often loses touch with reality and commits atrocities in order to retain control. While that makes for a good Hollywood action film, we need to realize that is not reality.

King Saul had strayed from God. He began to think he was in complete control and abandoned God in the process. As a result, God begin preparing a young man by the name of David to take the throne. David, son of Jesse, had the “Midas touch” so to speak. Everything he did he was a success, because he was committed to God and God was with him! People gravitated towards this new and Godly man.

Saul DID NOT like this, and the erosion of his power caused his mental state to deteriorate rapidly. To list all of his grievances due to his jealousy towards David would take up a great deal of space. However, his depraved mind led him to make several attempts on David’s life. In 1 Samuel 22:18-19, Saul orders Doeg to kill the priests of God,

“Saul turned to Doeg, who was from Edom, and said, “Kill the priests!” On that same day, Doeg killed eighty-five priests. Then he attacked the town of Nob, where the priests had lived, and he killed everyone there—men, women, children, and babies. He even killed their cattle, donkeys, and sheep.”

What can we learn from all of this? Submit wholly to God and recognize his complete control. One can only imagine how great of a king Saul could’ve been had he stayed committed to the Lord. A wise professor of mine once said, “The key to having power is to freely give it away.” The secret to a successful life is to, as the saying goes, “Let go, and let God.”