while today

Beware of Sure Things

March 30, 2012

While my daily Bible readings were in Proverbs, our local television news did a story on an Internet scam. This Internet company claimed to be located in Grand Rapids, which is why our investigative reporter worked the story. The company supposedly made loans.

A victim in the report told her story. She had applied for a loan of $10,000 but was told to send $1000 to guarantee the loan. This should have been the first clue that something was wrong. Now the $1000 is gone, there is no loan, and the Grand Rapids address is phony. But what made me think of Proverbs was the comment this lady made.

My friend Rose that loaned me the thousand dollars. That was her rent money and now she’s on the verge of being kicked out of her home because we didn’t get the loan.

Proverbs has many warnings about “putting up security” or “making a pledge” for someone else. The longest of the passages is in Proverbs 6:1-5. It deals with the case when you have put up security for your neighbor. It advises “to plead urgently with your neighbor” and “save yourself” like a gazelle from the hunter or a bird from the fowler. Proverbs 17:18 is a good example of the warnings.

One who lacks sense gives a pledge and puts up security in the presence of his neighbor. Proverbs 17:18, ESV

Many years ago, I had a man who called the church building. He asked me to bail out his son from the county jail. The man was out of state. The bond was $2000. I didn’t know either of them. At the time, I probably didn’t have the ten percent for the bond available in the family budget, and I certainly couldn’t have afforded to lose $2000 if the son skipped on the bail. I offered to visit the man’s son in jail and help him get in contact with a local bail bondsman, so that he could bail out his son, but I made it clear that I could not personally bail out his son. He didn’t want the help I was willing to offer, which is telling. It is not unkind to say no to what you cannot afford.

That, after all, is the point of Proverbs. It is cautioning us against putting up security, if we think we will never be asked to pay it, because we are legally and morally on the hook for the loss. If you can afford the loss and are willing to put up security that may be a different matter. You must count the cost and be able to afford the loss.

The Rose of this story no doubt was told that this was a sure thing. Her money would be back before her rent was due. Beware of sure things.

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Posted by Russell Holden

Correcting the Divorce Rate

March 23, 2012

I have to admit that I’ve said it. After all, I had read it in some reliable sources. What is this erroneous statement? “Christians divorce at about the same rate as the world.”

Now that doesn’t mean the numbers are good, but a couple of studies suggest that the oft repeated statement that divorce rates for Christians are the same as for outsiders is wrong. Professor Bradley Wright of the University of Connecticut found that 60% had been divorced in the group that rarely attended church versus 38% had been divorced among those that regularly went to church. W. Bradford Wilcox of the University of Virginia found that active conservative Protestants were 35% less likely to divorce than those with no church affiliation and nominally attending conservative Protestants are 20% less likely to divorce than secular Americans.*

It seems that faith does matter in keeping our marriages intact, and it suggests that the stronger our faith the better the results. In other words, just saying we are Christians doesn’t necessarily help. I’m glad for the studies that are correcting the divorce rate myth about Christians. But what is even more important is that faith is the way of correcting the divorce rate!

*http://www.crosswalk.com/family/marriage/divorce-and-remarriage/the-christian-divorce-rate-myth.html

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Posted by Russell Holden

Course Corrections

March 16, 2012

Do you make mistakes? I do, and I don’t think I’m being presumptuous to say that you do also, since it is a part of the Bible’s teaching (see 1 John 1). The question, then, is how do we respond to correction. Take, for example, the case of Peter.

Peter has the mountain top experience of confessing to Jesus, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Yet, when Jesus begins to teach about his death and resurrection, Peter is overconfident enough to rebuke Jesus. Jesus responds, “Get behind me Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not intent on the things of God but on human things.” (See Matthew 16:13-23.) The words had to have hurt. Peter finds himself as the embodiment of the Tempter attempting to thwart God’s plans. Peter makes a course correction and embraces the things of God.

Peter weeps bitterly after denying Jesus three times. He had made the audacious boast that if everyone else falls away, he would never fall away. Peter claimed he would die with Jesus and never deny him. So after breakfast following the resurrection, Jesus asks Peter three times, “Do you love me?” (See John 21:15-17.) The three questions correspond to the three denials. In fact, Peter is grieved by being asked the third time. Gone is the bravado. When Jesus asks, “Do you love me more than these,” Peter answers with a simpler, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” With each affirmation of love, Jesus gives Peter a task: feed my lambs, shepherd my sheep, and feed by sheep. Peter makes a course correction and expresses his love for Jesus.

But despite Peter’s growth and display of great courage in the first persecution of the church, Peter is still capable of making a mistake. While in Antioch, Peter withdraws his table fellowship from Gentile Christians when certain men from James arrived on the scene (Galatians 2:11-14). The issue is table fellowship. Jews did not eat with Gentiles, and these Gentile Christians were not circumcised, so the traditions about table fellowship were wrongly upheld by some. What is striking about this is that Peter was the one who made the first Gentile convert and had to defend his actions in Jerusalem. Paul doesn’t give Peter’s response to correction, but I think given the rest of the New Testament, we can assume what it was. Peter makes a course correction and affirms the gospel as revealed by God.

Lead me not into temptation is, of course, our prayer. But when mistakes happen, may the destination to be with Christ be so important, that we humbly, quickly, and joyfully make the necessary course corrections.

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Posted by Russell Holden

A Minority of One

March 9, 2012

It was a classic social science experiment. A test subject was placed in a room with seven fake test subjects who were in on the experiment. Each was asked to tell which of three lines was the same length as the sample line. There were no optical illusions. The test was simple. The fake subjects went first and gave the wrong answer. One-third of the real test subjects went along with the wrong answer at least half of the time. The control group had virtually no errors. The researcher noted: “The critical subject — whom we had place in a position of a minority of one in the midst of a unanimous majority — faced, possibly for the first time in his life, a situation in which a group unanimously contradicted the evidence of his senses.”^*

We all face the pressures of the group. Not all group pressures are bad. Sometimes they may be neutral. Most of the people I meet on a daily basis are wearing clothing styles that fit this time period. I’ve not seen many leisure suites or Nehru jackets lately, and young people will probably need Wikipedia to know what they are.

Sometimes group pressure may exert a good influence on us. I’ve lived for decades in the loving influence of the church. As Hebrews notes, this fellowship can stir up one another to love and good works.

But all of us will face moments when we must be the minority of one in the face of a majority that is wrong. In some ways, it may be helpful to know that such things happen, so that we can be mentally ready when we face the challenge. Even the Law of Moses warned of such situations:

You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice… (Exodus 23:2, ESV)

How do we know when we must go our own way and be a minority of one? Does what the group wants violate our conscience? Is this majority going against objective truth — what we see with our eyes and detect with our senses? Is this majority going against the revealed truth of scripture? If we answer “yes” to any of these questions, then we are being called to be a minority of one.

What helps us in this situation? We must consider God’s approval to be more valuable than human approval. In the long run, God’s side is always the winning side, even when we are forced to be a minority of one.

^*Marlin Karlins and Herbert I. Abelson, Persuasion, 2nd ed., pp. 43-44.

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Posted by Russell Holden

They Laughed at Him

February 26, 2012

The situation was grave, and the request was urgent. Jairus’ daughter was dying, so he sought Jesus’ help. When he found Jesus, he fell at his feet and implored him to come to his house. Think about this for a moment. Have you ever felt so desperate that you fell at someone’s feet to make your plea?

Jairus’ only daughter was dying. Let the word “only” sink in. It is not that with several children you have one that can be expendable. The death of any child would be horrible. Yet, there is a special pain that accompanies the word only. To lose an only daughter is to have no other daughter left to comfort you. To lose an only daughter is to have no other daughter to give you grandchildren.

Do you think Jairus was urgent getting Jesus to move in the direction of his house? After all, the crowds pressed around him. It would be like seeing an ambulance with lights flashing and siren sounding stuck in a traffic jam. Then Jesus himself stopped to ask who touched him. And then a further delay as Jesus spoke with a woman who had been ill for twelve years but was now cured. No doubt a wonderful cause as you worry that the joy of the past twelve years of your life may be fading away.

While Jesus was speaking, the bad news from home arrived: “You daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” Yet, Jesus pressed on. He assured Jairus that she will be well. But when they arrived, they were confronted with the realities of death — weeping and wailing. Jesus responded, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” But the hearers knew death only too well, and they laughed.

This laugh of derision was changed to joy. Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter, but I suspect that the disciples of Jesus heard this kind of laugh again.

Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked. Acts 17:32, ESV

And as he was saying these things in his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind; your great learning is driving you out of your mind.” Acts 26:24, ESV

With this laugh, I am reminded that the disciple is not above his master, and what they do to the master, they will do the one who follows. They laughed at Jesus, and some may very well laugh at us, but I am persuaded of the power and reality of Jesus’ resurrection.

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Posted by Russell Holden

A Touchable Jesus

February 10, 2012

Jesus’ encounter with Mary after his resurrection has led to a bit of unfortunate speculation (see John 20:17). The King James Version reads: “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” The speculation assumes that Mary was forbidden to touch Jesus, yet later Thomas was invited to touch Jesus (John 20:27). This interpretation seeks an explanation in the reason given in John 20:17, and so proposes an ascension to the Father before the ascension recorded in Acts. Something happens in this “first” trip to heaven that allows him to be touched later.

Several problems exist with this speculative interpretation of John 20:17. First, “touch me not” doesn’t necessarily imply that Mary has not touched Jesus. Sometimes we say “don’t touch me” after being touched. Even beginning with the KJV reading, I think this interpretation starts with an unwarranted assumption.

Second, “touch me not” renders a Greek verb that is present imperative (a command in the present tense). Prohibitions in the present imperative often convey the idea of stopping an activity in progress.* Several translations try to convey this idea:

Do not cling to me… ESV
Stop clinging to Me … NASB
Do not hold on to me… NIV
Do not cling to Me… NKJV

These translations are conveying the correct notion that Mary is clinging to Jesus, and he is asking her to stop. She doesn’t need to cling to him, for he hasn’t yet ascended to his Father — they still have some time left, although this also gives her a warning that their relationship is going to change with the ascension. He has a mission for her, and he needs her to let go and find the brothers and give them his message. This correct understanding of the verb completely negates this interpretation.

This interpretation fails to take in account a chronologically close encounter with Jesus and the women who come to the tomb: “And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.” (Matthew 28:9, KJV) The time between this encounter and the encounter with Mary would have been very short. This too argues against this interpretation.

What I find encouraging about these scenes is that the resurrected Jesus is a touchable Jesus. I had a Greek professor who believed that the popular Christian conception of the afterlife was a little too much Plato and not enough scripture. I sometimes wonder whether when we hear “spiritual body” that our minds don’t go to something ghostly and insubstantial, yet scripture presents us with a touchable Jesus.

*Daniel B. Wallace, Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics, p. 724.

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Regret of Judas

February 3, 2012

Judas regretted what he had done, or he changed his mind, or he repented (Matthew 27:3). The exact wording will depend on your translation. The word that is used is a synonym of the usual word for repent in the New Testament, and it is difficult to distinguish the two synonyms. The word used of Judas seems to have a range of meaning from the feelings of regret to the change of mind, which is what repentance is.*

For the reader of Matthew, the word is first encountered in the parable of two sons who are told to go work in the vineyard (Matthew 21:28-32). The first son says he won’t go, but later changed his mind and went (verse 29). Here is an example of genuine repentance.

As we look at the case of Judas, there are some positive signs of repentance as well. Judas returned the thirty pieces of silver. As Jack P. Lewis in his commentary on Matthew noted it was a “paltry sum” in comparison to what Judas traded, but it still amounted to about four months’ wages for a laborer. It was no small amount to part with once it was already in your pocket. Judas also confessed to the chief priests and elders, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”

So what went wrong? Judas’ regret didn’t lead him back to God. Instead, he took his own life. He took vengeance out on himself instead of leaving it for God, which by the way, also means leaving room for grace to intervene. The Jesus who forgave Peter, the denier, and Paul, the persecutor, would seem to have sufficient grace for a Judas, the betrayer. Judas ended his life before Jesus’ resurrection —before the full power of the good news was known.

Judas seems to be the poster child for Paul’s teaching on grief and repentance.

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10, ESV

What we do with grief and regret is important? Turn it in the wrong direction, and it leads to death. Turn it in the right direction, and it leads to forgiveness and salvation. Regret is not enough. Grief is not enough. The feelings of regret and the inward changes must lead us in God’s direction to God’s solution.

*The Greek word is metamelomai. The usual verb for repent in the New Testament is metanoeo.

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Bridesmaids

January 26, 2012

Jesus told a story of ten virgins, and immediately the modern listener may be distracted. When do we use the word virgin these days, except in the name of some company owned by Sir Richard Branson? Maybe we could hear the story better if we substitute another word. Jesus told a story about five wise and five foolish bridesmaids (see Matthew 25:1-13).

After thirty years of performing wedding ceremonies, I’ve witnessed many wedding parties. I’ve seen bridesmaids bring in so much stuff into the church building that one might suppose they planned to camp out for a week: food, water, soft drinks, clothes, make-up, hair dryers, irons, and ironing boards and who knows what else. They seem intent on being prepared for anything just like the scouts, because this is a special day. Only one time in three decades have I had a bridesmaid ask me for a safety pin, and then she was extremely apologetic because she had meant to bring some.

The first century, Jewish wedding ceremony was usually at the bride’s home. The general time of the wedding was known, but the exact time of the bridegroom’s arrival would be unknown. Following the ceremony, the wedding party would go in procession to the groom’s home for the wedding banquet. The bridesmaids would need their lamps (possibly wedding torches) for the nighttime processional to the wedding banquet.

I’ve told illustrations in sermons only to have someone come out, shake my hand, and tell me exactly the wrong point from the story. Jesus’ parable can suffer in the same way. I’ve been in many Bible classes where someone will ask, “Why couldn’t the virgins share?” The simple answer is that is not the point of this particular story. From a practical point of view, some have suggested that the wedding torch had a very short burn time before it needed more oil. In other words, there just wouldn’t have been enough oil to share. An attempt to share would have left the wedding party in the dark at some point along the trip to the wedding banquet and spoiled things for the bridge and groom. After all, we are always anxious for all the details to go just right at weddings, better five torches than no torches.

Five wise bridesmaids are prepared for the wedding. Five foolish bridesmaids are shockingly unprepared, and while they go to make themselves ready, they miss the wedding, are late for the reception, and find themselves permanently shut out. The story is about preparation for a special day The story is about the individual preparation that only each one of us can do for that special day of the Lord’s return. We do not know the day or the hour. Are you ready?

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Posted by Russell Holden

The Needed Directions

January 20, 2012

I was putting an appointment in my calendar one day, and I had the name of the place where I was to go but lacked the address. I like to put address and information on directions with the appointment, so I did what many people would do. I googled the name of the place. Google brought up the web site for the place I wanted, and I clicked to a very professional looking web site. It had all kinds of information on it. It had a description of the place, a photo, and a very nice history. In fact, it had everything but what I wanted to know — the address. The web site told me everything but how to get there.

Occasionally, we will receive a flyer for some event that commits the same error. The flyer will have a nice layout. It will contain information about the event, for example, who is speaking or what singing group will perform. It will give date and time and other important information, but it will omit the address.

It’s a very human failing. I can certainly relate to it. I’ve put together a flyer or two through the years as well as a few web sites too. You have all these things that you want to say, and unless you organize your thoughts a bit, you can leave out something important. I’ve experienced a proofreader’s second set of eyes pointing out something that I had missed.

I’m glad that the Lord does not have this human failing. On the night of his betrayal, Jesus speaks of the place he will prepare for his followers (John 14:1-3). This naturally leads to Thomas wondering about the directions: “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” (John 14:5, ESV) Jesus gives this tremendous answer: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. “(John 14:6, ESV) Yet, I must confess that we might still be perplexed if that was the only answer. This discussion leads to Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit. I think it contains a special promise to the apostles, the “you” of 14:26.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. (John 14:26, ESV)

I am thankful for the divine guidance given the apostles. They were spared the human failing of forgetting something when it came to the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints, so we have the assurance that we can be thoroughly equipped for every good work. God has provided everything we need for life and godliness. Since it is the most important destination, I’m thankful that we have the needed directions.

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Posted by Russell Holden

A Spiritual Church

January 13, 2012

The church began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) with the outpouring of the Spirit and the preaching of the gospel. The miraculous manifestations of the Spirit were to confirm the new revelation given by the Apostles (Hebrews 2:4). Although I do not think we should expect to see in our lifetime the things that were marks of the Apostles (2 Corinthians 12:12), I believe we are to be a spiritual church.

We are to be a spiritual church because our faith is based on the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Jesus told the Apostles: “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into al the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come” (John 16:12-13, NASB). Scripture comes to us because of “men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God” (2 Peter 1:21).

We are to be a spiritual church because Christians have received the indwelling Spirit when they were baptized (Acts 2:38-39, Acts 5:32). The Spirit is a motive for holiness (1 Corinthians 6:19). The Spirit aids us in our struggle with sin (Romans 8:13). The Spirit is said to produce in us the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).

We are to be a spiritual church because of prayer. One of the hallmarks of the church in Acts is prayer (Acts 2:42, 3:1, 4:24, 6:4, 12:12, 13:3, 14:23, 20:36, 21:5).

What we should be and could be is not always what we are. Paul in addressing the problems in Corinth says that he ought to be speaking to spiritual people, but in reality they were carnal (fleshly), still babes in Christ (1 Corinthians 3:1). May the word of Christ dwell in us richly, may we not grieve the Spirit but mature producing the fruit of the Spirit, and may we learn to pray without ceasing. These are the things that characterize a spiritual church.

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Posted by Russell Holden