The power of meekness

Meekness is not a valued attribute today. This is evidenced in a classic scene in the movie “The Wizard of Oz.” Dorothy and her friends nervously approach the fear-inspiring wizard, named Oz. “Who are you?” Oz bellows, impatiently. “If you please," Dorothy begins. "I’m Dorothy, the small and meek." Dorothy was actually using the word meek as a synonym for weak; this is a common mistake. Jesus said in Matthew 5: “Blessed are the meek.” Many look at His words and conclude that God must therefore be in favor of a weak, cowardly doormat. But this is not Biblical meekness.

Meekness is best defined as power and strength under control. I love the way an article from got questions.org defines it, they state that meekness is “having the right or power to do something but refraining for the benefit of someone else” (I’ve included this article in a link below).

One example of meekness is Superman. In the series finale of the TV show “Justice League Unlimited” (an episode entitled “Destroyer”) Superman and the rest of the Justice League battle a mighty enemy. The villain has been flexing his muscle, and hope of victory seems to be fading, but Superman hasn’t pushed the panic button. He actually ends up sharing a moment of self-disclosure that we rarely see; he says these words to the villain:

“I’ve got a different problem. I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard. [I’m] always taking constant care not to break something, to break someone. Never allowing myself to lose control, even for a moment, or someone could die. But you can take it, can’t you, big man? What we have here is a rare opportunity for me to cut loose and show you just how powerful I really am.” Needless to say, Superman backs up his words with action. He showcases his power, but interestingly, he also simultaneously showcases his meekness.  By showing his power, he shows us that he controls his immense power exceptionally well.

There are examples of meekness in the Bible as well. Numbers 12:3 says that Moses was “very meek” (ESV), but clearly he wasn’t some spineless, weak, or cowering figure. David could have killed King Saul on multiple occasions, but he didn’t (1 Samuel 24 and 26). He had the power, but he chose not to use it; he meekly waited for God to deal with Saul in His timing.  That it meekness.

But the greatest example of meekness is Jesus Christ. Jesus was so powerful that He resurrected a man who had been dead, He commanded the wind and storm to subside and they obeyed, and He gave sight to the blind, (to name just a few miracles). Yet this same man chose to submit to God’s plan and die a substitutionary death on a cross to pay the price of mankind’s sin. He could have escaped the torture of the cross; as He said to Peter in Garden of Gethsemane, “I could call down thousands of angels to get me out of this right now” (my paragraph of Matthew 26:53). But Jesus is meek. The same got questions.org article says, “Jesus had the right to do whatever He wanted, but, for our sake, He submitted to “death on a cross.” That is the ultimate in meekness.”

The takeaway of this for me is that if I want to be a Christ-like man, I must be growing in meekness. What are some examples of this in everyday life?  For instance, someone says something that makes me angry. In that moment, I have the power to blast away at the person that angered me. But do I have the restraint, self-control, and meekness to hold back my angry reaction and choose instead to extend forgiveness to that person? Or you come home after a hard day at work, and your spouse gives you a rather lengthy “honey-do” list. Meekness says, “I have the right to look after myself exclusively, but I’m going to defer to my spouse's needs, even at the expense of my own.”

Kevin

http://www.gotquestions.org/blessed-are-the-meek.html

"As for God, His way is perfect"

Six weeks ago, I began attending a new small group Bible study with my church. We meet on a weekly basis to discuss the sermon that was preached. In one of our meetings, I said to the group that one of the things that I hoped would be a part of my legacy was that I was known as a person who trusted in God.

I’m not just talking about trusting in God for my salvation here, although that’s certainly a vitally important aspect of it as well. But specifically I’m referring to the fact that God’s plan for a life can sometimes differ significantly from the plan we envision for ourselves. I said to the group that I hoped someone would say of me, “Kevin had plans for how his life might look, but he chose to submit to God’s plan, because he had the full confidence that the Lord’s way is always the best route to take.” I love Psalm 18:30: “As for God, His way is perfect.” And all God’s people said “amen”!

I’m reminded of the song, “Jesus, take the wheel.” I’ve chosen to let God drive the car of my life in the direction that He desires. By the way, I think I’ve said this in this blog before but it’s worth repeating anyway: I’ve found that when you make this choice to let Jesus take wheel of your life, He will drive the car through rugged terrain. The route will often be rough, bumpy, and treacherous. I often pray a prayer to God that, in effect, sounds something like this, “Lord, this way isn’t all that comfortable. I confess I’m feeling unsettled, disconcerted, and uneasy. I don’t know why You are choosing to take me this way, but I trust in You and Your plan. Ultimately, it is a joy to go Your way.”

Let me quote Psalm 18:30 again this time in its entirety: “As for God, His way is perfect. The word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him” (NKJV). To be sure, His way is not the easy way, but there’s not a doubt in my mind that His way is the best way, the perfect way. This isn’t just a flowery sentiment for a blog installment; this is the firm conviction of my heart.   I don’t know what I would do without this assurance.

Kevin

"Come Lord Jesus"

Recently, I was listening to a sermon by Pastor Paul Bouton on the radio as I was driving home from work one evening. He was preaching on Revelation 22. In this chapter, Jesus says, “I am coming soon” three different times. He says it in verses 7, 12, and 20. In verse 20, the Apostle John responds to Jesus by saying, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Bouton humorously remarked that if you look at the Greek words of John in verse 20, it’s translated “hurry hurry.” Of course, this was a joke. It was really an allusion to the words of Peyton Manning at the line of scrimmage with the Denver Broncos offense.

The reference made me chuckle, but it speaks to a deeper reality. The truth is, Jesus is coming back again, just as He promised in His Word.  I find myself saying in response, “Come Lord Jesus. Hurry hurry. As You know, it is an absolute mess on planet Earth. There’s chaos, heartache, burdens, tribulation, and seemingly unbridled wickedness here. Please come back so that I can be with You forever.”

To be clear, life on this Earth can be good. God has given us many gifts that are to be enjoyed here and now. In fact, every day that we wake up to face another day is a gift from Him. But, having said this, I believe that our best day on this Earth is nothing compared to the exceedingly great existence every Christian will enjoy in Heaven.

Kevin

3:16 day

A few years back, a radio DJ team wished their listeners a happy “3:16 day.” This was a reference to the fact that when it is 3/16 on the calendar it’s also a reminder of John 3:16. This is a powerful verse from the Bible; it reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse is so familiar that it’s easy to gloss over these life-changing words. But that would be a great tragedy.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…”

This is an interesting question to contemplate: in the beginning, Adam and Eve chose sin when they disobeyed God’s word in the Garden of Eden. So, at that point, why didn’t God give up on humanity altogether and wipe them out right then and there? The answer is because God loves humanity. In fact, He loves us so deeply and fervently that He did what He didn’t have to do: He sent Jesus Christ to Earth. Jesus lived the perfect, sinless life that no one else could live. Jesus was the only one with the necessary credentials to die on a cross to pay the price of humanity’s sin. 1 John 2:2 says that Jesus is “the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him…”

This is a glorious thought. Some people are aware of Jesus’ offer of forgiveness of sins, but they are unwilling to take it because they think they’ve lived too sinful of a life. It dawned on me that someone may stumble onto this blog and read my words. And if you were to tell me your life story I would be utterly shocked at the brazen sinful lifestyle you’ve led. But John 3:16 says that doesn’t matter. John 3:16 says anyone is free to come to Christ and receive His gracious pardon from their sinful past. The Bible says, “Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (Revelation 22:17). The Bible says, “The blood of Jesus purifies us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). Come to Jesus today. He will forgive you, cleanse you, and accept you with open arms!

You say, “How do I do that?” You do as John 3:16 says, you believe in Jesus. This means you place your full confidence, trust, and faith in Him alone. It means you stop trusting in your own righteousness, works, and merits to deliver you from your sin and you begin to trust that Jesus’ righteousness, work, and merit is sufficient for salvation from your sin.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

In a prayer shortly before His crucifixion, Jesus said, “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). This has the connotation of having a personal relationship with God. For example, I have a great respect for Billy Graham, but I don’t know Mr. Graham personally. Conversely, I have a great respect for the pastor of my church, and I do know him. That is, I commenced a personal relationship with my pastor. We have a friendship. Jesus said that everlasting life is knowing God and Jesus; not having simple head knowledge about Him, but having started a personal relationship with Him. If you’ve never done that, it’s not by accident that you are reading these words. God is wooing you and drawing you. Say yes to Him today.

Happy 3:16 day!

Kevin

Concluding thoughts on Psalm 37:4

I fully intended to move on from discussing Psalm 37:4. I had devoted two blog installments to this verse and subsequently moved on to other subjects. But there’s more that I feel I should say about this.

Once again, by way of reminder, look at how Psalm 37:4 reads, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” First of all, as I previously said, many skip the first part and focus on the “he will give you the desires of your heart” phrase. But I submit to you that the first part, the “delighting in the Lord” part is actually the best part. You don’t delight in the Lord just so you can check off that box and move on. To the contrary, I’ve found that delighting in God is its own reward. I have a friend who uses the word “delightful” regularly. The dictionary defines delightful as “very pleasing.” We can and should find our delight in God simply because He is delightful.

Incidentally, let me also state that this idea of delighting in God is a daily process. You don’t arrive and stay at this place forever. I know for myself it’s always two steps forward, and one step back. Some days I delight in God, other days I don’t. This is just the unfortunate reality of living life in this world. The old hymn says, “Prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.” Because our hearts are so fickle, by default, it’s a daily battle to move in the direction of choosing to delight in God.

For the remainder of this blog, I want to share the two things that I believe you and I must do if we are to find our delight, happiness, and satisfaction in God.  Perhaps there is more than these two, but these are essential. Item #1: trust in God. I see that this is true for me and I'm confident that it’s true across the board: you won’t delight in God if you don’t trust Him. It simply will not happen.

Confession time: I often battle the tendency to question God and even get frustrated with Him at what He is doing (or not doing) in my life. Don’t get me wrong: this is not to suggest that I would give up on my faith in God or anything like that. Having said that, I do look at specific life circumstances, and I inwardly wonder, “Lord, what in the world are you doing?” But, in the midst of this, I cling to the truth that God’s plan is superior to my own plan. A Bible verse that has been very precious to me for the past several years is Proverbs 3:5; “trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Item #2: Obedience. God is teaching me that if you want to delight yourself in the Lord, you must obey what He has decreed in His holy Word, the Bible. I sincerely believe that God’s way is the best way.  Think about it. If I think that my selfish way is better than God’s way, how can I honestly claim to be delighting in God at that moment?  The directives He has given are not burdensome (1 John 5:3), they are liberating.

In conclusion, I was pleasantly surprised when I was mentally going over all this, to be reminded of a phrase in a famous hymn. I could hardly believe the correlation with today's material when this phrase came to my mind: “Trust and obey; for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

Kevin

A case study on servanthood

The other day I heard pieces of a sermon by Pastor Ed Taylor. He was talking about servanthood. He mentioned how, in Biblical times, there were some servants who willingly chose to live out their lives in faithful service to their master. They certainly could have lived a life catering to their own whims, aspirations, and desires, but instead, they voluntarily chose to yield those rights and live in humble service to the master they loved.

As I was listening to this, my mind went to a fictional character that epitomizes this type of servant. I thought of Alfred from the Batman stories. This is, of course, Bruce Wayne/Batman’s butler. It’s remarkable to stop and think about all the ways that Alfred assists Bruce. Alfred may be asked to do important research, or to send a tool to Bruce he needs while chasing criminals. Or perhaps Bruce just needs someone to talk to and so he turns to his faithful servant; in all these instances, Alfred dutifully obeys.

Some might look at Alfred and say that he is wasting his life, but how does he feel about his life in this role? Oddly enough, the answer comes in the movie “Batman and Robin.” This is ironic because this film is regarded as possibly the worst superhero movie that has ever been created. While I agree with that assessment, there is one fantastic scene in this film that has always stood out to me.

One of the storylines in the film is that Alfred falls gravely ill, and is nearing death. While ultimately he does survive, Bruce still wants to take the opportunity to ask Alfred a question that has evidently been bothering him. He asks, “Alfred, have you ever regretted your life? Working here?” “Looking after heroes?” Alfred answers. “No sir. My only regret is I was never able to be out there with you.”

I want to be like Alfred. Contemplating his selfless example inspires me afresh to keep on serving God. It is true that choosing to live a life in service to another isn’t a life filled with fanfare, renown, or adulation. To the contrary, this is a modest, hidden, obscure life. But ask me at the end of my life and, like Alfred, I will emphatically declare that I never regretted living my life in devotion and service to my Master.

Kevin

Some thoughts on the film "Son of God"

I was able to watch the new movie “Son of God” this week. I thought it was done well. I didn’t set out to do so, but I couldn’t help but compare Diogo Morgado (the actor who portrays Jesus in this new movie) with Jim Caviezel’s portrayal of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” Gibson wanted to focus on Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion and resurrection, so Caviezel captured Christ's sacrifice; the fact that He would choose to submit to the torture of being flogged, beaten, and crucified.

While Morgado also captures the intense suffering of Jesus capably, he gets to display the incredible power of Jesus in “Son of God.” For instance, in the film, we get to see a reenactment of Christ bringing Lazarus back from the dead, feeding the 5,000 with just five loaves of bread and two fish, and walking on the water. Seeing these miracles makes the truth abundantly clear: Jesus could easily have come down off the cross, but He didn’t, because He submitted to God’s plan.

Incidentally, in “Son of God” the flogging scene is not nearly as violent as “The Passion of the Christ” but it is still unnerving to watch. Furthermore, there is a lot of blood that is shed. The body of Jesus is so broken and bloodied on the cross that I nearly expected the dialogue to be in Aramaic and with English subtitles as it was in “The Passion of the Christ.” It is a rather bloody PG-13 rating. I was reminded of a verse in Hebrews that says "the law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood, and sins cannot be forgiven without blood to show death" (NCV).

To sum it all up, I think “Son of God” does what it set out to do: present an accurate cinematic representation of Jesus’ life, sacrificial death, and glorious resurrection for a new generation of movie watchers. That’s what is most exciting to me about “Son of God,” it’s an opportunity for conversations about Jesus.

Kevin