Not too long ago my Grandpa shared with me a very simple story. Though simple, the story has impacted me so much that I want to share it with you.
A father told his son to go down to the lake and catch some fish for dinner. The boy eagerly grabbed his pole and headed down to the water. He baited his hook and cast his line into the lake. As he was waiting for a bite, he noticed something in the bushes. It was a snake. He quickly reeled in his line and set his pole aside. He then began to devise and execute a plan to kill the snake. Once the snake was dead he picked up his pole. "Dad will be so proud of me for killing a snake," he thought. As he began to cast the line back into the water he saw that the bushes were rustling. Another snake slithered out of the bushes. Setting his pole down again, the boy proceeded to kill the snake. All day long he killed snake after snake after snake. About dusk his father came to bring him back up to the house.
"How many fish did you catch, son?"
"Well, none."
"You didn't catch any fish? Why not?"
"I tried to catch fish, but look how many snakes I killed!" exclaimed the boy as he gestured to the giant pile of dead snakes.
"I didn't ask you to kill snakes, son. I asked you to catch fish."
The boy hung his head in disappointment as he walked empty handed with his father back to the house.
The point my Grandpa was trying to make is that while killing snakes is important, we should not get so distracted by them that we catch no fish. In other words, righting wrongs, defending the gospel, and exposing sin are crucial, but if all we ever do are those things and yet catch no fish (witness to others), we are revealing an imbalance within our own hearts. It is easy to stand on the bank of the lake and throw stones at snakes. Fishing is hard work. It takes practice and patience. And so it is easy to stand back and point fingers at everything that is wrong, which I do far too often. But it is very difficult to get out on the battlefield where souls are won and share the gospel. Why is it difficult? Simple. Because it takes much more effort and faith than pointing our fingers, which takes virtually no effort at all. Sometimes, the snakes we are killing need to be killed. It is important that we do not ignore blatant sin in the lives of other believers or that we do not sit silently while false gospels are preached. These are important, but must be balanced with the sharing of the gospel. When we get out and share the gospel something happens to us. It doesn't just change the lives of those with whom we share, it changes us. It softens our hearts to the lost. It makes us more loving and gentle. So, kill snakes, but don't forget to catch fish!
When I realize that I am focusing on all the things that need to change around me instead of focusing on all of the dying souls, I remember this story. My Grandpa is a very wise man. He knows all too well my tendency to want to kill all of the snakes. God made me a snake killer! But, he also knows that it would be sinful for all of my efforts and energy to be focused there. And, afterall, God has commanded me to be a fisherman. I sure am thankful for my Grandpa and all the godly wisdom he shares.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
A Marine Recruiter and the Gospel
**Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to show bias or favoritism for one branch over another. Both of my brothers are Marines, though one is now a Sailor (Once a Marine, always a Marine.), and I have a very dear friend who is a Soldier. These are just the facts of this particular story.
My younger brother, Andrew, is currently a Marine recruiter, though his MOS is forward observer. He is really great as what he does...really great. Part of what makes him so great at getting recruits is this: he really believes the Marine Corps to be the superior branch. That might sound arrogant, but can you imagine wanting to buy a Browning shotgun from someone who is very outspoken about Remington being the best? No! And probably, the salesman would not enjoy selling Brownings because his passion is for Remingtons. So, since Andrew's passion is for the Marine Corps, and it is very evident, it makes possible recruits also feel that the Marines must be the best. The other day while I was speaking with him on the phone he began relaying to me a story of some nearby Army recruiters. Now, my experience with military is mostly limited to Marines, but I can say with assurance that each branch thinks they are the best. He became frustrated with these particular recruiters because they were lying to their potential recruits. He had heard the same fallacious claims over and over again from one recruit after another. Andrew went to speak with the recruiters and confronted them with lying to people. At first they denied it, and then once they were trapped they had to admit it.
On one of his visits to their office he heard mention that they were going to devote a ceiling tile in their office to the mascot from each high school in which they were allowed to recruit, and paint the mascot onto the ceiling tiles. "Why would you do that?!" was Andrew's response. "So that they feel at home when they come here to talk with us," was the reply he received. "Why would you want them to feel at home here? They are not Soldiers yet! We would never do that. I don't want them to feel at home. I want them to know that the Marine Corps is different from everything else. We will not bring the high school into the Marine Corps. We will take the Marine Corps to the high school." He stressed that he would not be bringing any part of the high school into his office. He feels as though the facts about the Marine Corps speak for themselves and need no gimmicks in order to attract recruits. Apparently, Andrew's speech was fairly convincing because he noticed they never did paint the ceiling tiles.
As I was listening to this story all I could see was the spiritual parallel. Do you see it yet? I'll give you a hint: It has to do with the gospel. Isn't this what we so often do in our culture? To make non-believers feel welcome, we bring their music and even philosophies into the church. So often, we water down the gospel and bring a little bit of the world into the church in order to make it feel more comfortable in hopes they will connect with it. But, the gospel is sufficient. It is powerful and needs no "help" from us in converting souls. Instead of preaching sin and repentance, so many churches are preaching "God is love". God IS love, but until we recognize our sin and repent of it, He is not love to us. He is wrath. (Romans 1:18) Instead of changing the gospel and painting the ceiling tiles of our churches with worldly philosophies, we should be changing the world with the gospel. Instead of bringing the world into the church by luring in the unsaved, let's take the gospel of Jesus out into the world!
As Andrew has a passion for the Marine Corps, let's truly have a passion for Christ and His gospel. Of course, we are superior to no one, but we do have confidence that the way of Christ is the only way that leads to eternal life. (John 14:6) Evangelism is much like recruiting. If Andrew just sat in his office and waited for people to come in, he might obtain a few recruits. But he doesn't do that. He gets out and drives to where the candidates are. We should do the same. Let's go to where the lost are, which is basically everywhere, and share the gospel. Andrew is just helping people find a career path. We have the key to eternal life and forgiveness and communion with God! How much more should we be out seeking "recruits", so to speak?
My younger brother, Andrew, is currently a Marine recruiter, though his MOS is forward observer. He is really great as what he does...really great. Part of what makes him so great at getting recruits is this: he really believes the Marine Corps to be the superior branch. That might sound arrogant, but can you imagine wanting to buy a Browning shotgun from someone who is very outspoken about Remington being the best? No! And probably, the salesman would not enjoy selling Brownings because his passion is for Remingtons. So, since Andrew's passion is for the Marine Corps, and it is very evident, it makes possible recruits also feel that the Marines must be the best. The other day while I was speaking with him on the phone he began relaying to me a story of some nearby Army recruiters. Now, my experience with military is mostly limited to Marines, but I can say with assurance that each branch thinks they are the best. He became frustrated with these particular recruiters because they were lying to their potential recruits. He had heard the same fallacious claims over and over again from one recruit after another. Andrew went to speak with the recruiters and confronted them with lying to people. At first they denied it, and then once they were trapped they had to admit it.
On one of his visits to their office he heard mention that they were going to devote a ceiling tile in their office to the mascot from each high school in which they were allowed to recruit, and paint the mascot onto the ceiling tiles. "Why would you do that?!" was Andrew's response. "So that they feel at home when they come here to talk with us," was the reply he received. "Why would you want them to feel at home here? They are not Soldiers yet! We would never do that. I don't want them to feel at home. I want them to know that the Marine Corps is different from everything else. We will not bring the high school into the Marine Corps. We will take the Marine Corps to the high school." He stressed that he would not be bringing any part of the high school into his office. He feels as though the facts about the Marine Corps speak for themselves and need no gimmicks in order to attract recruits. Apparently, Andrew's speech was fairly convincing because he noticed they never did paint the ceiling tiles.
As I was listening to this story all I could see was the spiritual parallel. Do you see it yet? I'll give you a hint: It has to do with the gospel. Isn't this what we so often do in our culture? To make non-believers feel welcome, we bring their music and even philosophies into the church. So often, we water down the gospel and bring a little bit of the world into the church in order to make it feel more comfortable in hopes they will connect with it. But, the gospel is sufficient. It is powerful and needs no "help" from us in converting souls. Instead of preaching sin and repentance, so many churches are preaching "God is love". God IS love, but until we recognize our sin and repent of it, He is not love to us. He is wrath. (Romans 1:18) Instead of changing the gospel and painting the ceiling tiles of our churches with worldly philosophies, we should be changing the world with the gospel. Instead of bringing the world into the church by luring in the unsaved, let's take the gospel of Jesus out into the world!
As Andrew has a passion for the Marine Corps, let's truly have a passion for Christ and His gospel. Of course, we are superior to no one, but we do have confidence that the way of Christ is the only way that leads to eternal life. (John 14:6) Evangelism is much like recruiting. If Andrew just sat in his office and waited for people to come in, he might obtain a few recruits. But he doesn't do that. He gets out and drives to where the candidates are. We should do the same. Let's go to where the lost are, which is basically everywhere, and share the gospel. Andrew is just helping people find a career path. We have the key to eternal life and forgiveness and communion with God! How much more should we be out seeking "recruits", so to speak?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
The Dangers of Apple Pie
“The greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie. It is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video, but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night.” -John Piper
Lately, I've been praying Psalm 51:12: "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." It is very easy to let the mundane things steal the joy of our salvation! As I've been praying this I've been reflecting on why my affections for Him have cooled a bit. Part of it has been circumstance. Someone I loved and shared much with shattered me, a friendship broken as a result. And so with this I have been learning forgiveness and humility. I have all hope that full reconciliation can occur through Christ. Someone else that I love very deeply has told me recently of his lost state. He has believed himself to be saved for several years and now has realized that he is not. I have struggled with impatience and even anger with God over this situation. Why won't He just save him now? Why must we wait? God has been patient with me in my unforgiveness and pride and my anger toward Him which are all wrong. He has helped me to continue to forgive and has taken my anger away. But as I've been reflecting on this it hit me that these "major" events in my life have not been the causes of my cooling affections.
The cause? Lots of little nothings. A few months ago Eric and I subscribed to Netflix. It has been great and I have really enjoyed watching movies and documentaries on the nights he spends away. But, in retrospect, the more nights I spent watching movies, the more my mind has been lured away from Him. Please, do not read this as a condemnation of television or movies or media. It is not. I have been watching things that I can say are God-honoring. So how is it possible that they could steal me away? Well, just a little at a time I suppose. As I've been praying for God to restore to me the joy of my salvation, He began to impress on me to spend less time doing "nothings" that I think bring me joy and more time focusing on Him, the ultimate supplier of joy. There was nothing inherently sinful with the movies I was viewing, but I was starting to enjoy watching a movie more than spending time in Bible study and prayer. And at that point, it became a sin for me, an idol. (Exodus 20:3) "Whatever a man depends upon, whatever rules his mind, whatever governs his affections, whatever is the chief object of his delight is his god." -Charles Spurgeon
It's sad isn't it? That instead of spending time with my Creator, Redeemer, and God I would rather watch a movie. How shameful! I'm am not proud of this. There have been days when Eric has been gone and I have intended to have my time with God after the boys go to bed and then instead I decide to watch a movie. And so the day comes and goes with no real alone time, no intimacy with the One I claim to treasure above all else. On that day, I have proven Him not to be my treasure. All I can say is, praise the Lord that tomorrow His mercies are new! (Lamentations 3:22&23)
Media, as well as many other things, can be enjoyed to the glory of God, but these delights lie to us and tell us they are greater than He is. It is good and right to focus on big and obvious areas of sin and to avoid them, but we cannot ignore the "grey areas"; the things that seem good and can lure us away. So be careful and watchful of the sneaky ways by which sin can enter. "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7) Sin doesn't always walk in announcing itself as sin. It often crouches at the door looking for an opportunity to sneak in. So today instead of trying so hard not to commit the "obvious" sins, I'm just trying to focus on Him. Today, instead of trying not to drink the bleach under my kitchen sink, I'm just going to try to avoid the apple pie on my counter.
**Also, as a random side note, I find it interesting that I will write a blog and leave it saved but unfinished for weeks. Then in conversation, the very topic about which I am writing will arise and suddenly my blog is complete. God begins showing me an area in which I need to grow and then through His Word and friends around me, he cements it into my heart. God is good!
Lately, I've been praying Psalm 51:12: "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit." It is very easy to let the mundane things steal the joy of our salvation! As I've been praying this I've been reflecting on why my affections for Him have cooled a bit. Part of it has been circumstance. Someone I loved and shared much with shattered me, a friendship broken as a result. And so with this I have been learning forgiveness and humility. I have all hope that full reconciliation can occur through Christ. Someone else that I love very deeply has told me recently of his lost state. He has believed himself to be saved for several years and now has realized that he is not. I have struggled with impatience and even anger with God over this situation. Why won't He just save him now? Why must we wait? God has been patient with me in my unforgiveness and pride and my anger toward Him which are all wrong. He has helped me to continue to forgive and has taken my anger away. But as I've been reflecting on this it hit me that these "major" events in my life have not been the causes of my cooling affections.
The cause? Lots of little nothings. A few months ago Eric and I subscribed to Netflix. It has been great and I have really enjoyed watching movies and documentaries on the nights he spends away. But, in retrospect, the more nights I spent watching movies, the more my mind has been lured away from Him. Please, do not read this as a condemnation of television or movies or media. It is not. I have been watching things that I can say are God-honoring. So how is it possible that they could steal me away? Well, just a little at a time I suppose. As I've been praying for God to restore to me the joy of my salvation, He began to impress on me to spend less time doing "nothings" that I think bring me joy and more time focusing on Him, the ultimate supplier of joy. There was nothing inherently sinful with the movies I was viewing, but I was starting to enjoy watching a movie more than spending time in Bible study and prayer. And at that point, it became a sin for me, an idol. (Exodus 20:3) "Whatever a man depends upon, whatever rules his mind, whatever governs his affections, whatever is the chief object of his delight is his god." -Charles Spurgeon
It's sad isn't it? That instead of spending time with my Creator, Redeemer, and God I would rather watch a movie. How shameful! I'm am not proud of this. There have been days when Eric has been gone and I have intended to have my time with God after the boys go to bed and then instead I decide to watch a movie. And so the day comes and goes with no real alone time, no intimacy with the One I claim to treasure above all else. On that day, I have proven Him not to be my treasure. All I can say is, praise the Lord that tomorrow His mercies are new! (Lamentations 3:22&23)
Media, as well as many other things, can be enjoyed to the glory of God, but these delights lie to us and tell us they are greater than He is. It is good and right to focus on big and obvious areas of sin and to avoid them, but we cannot ignore the "grey areas"; the things that seem good and can lure us away. So be careful and watchful of the sneaky ways by which sin can enter. "If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7) Sin doesn't always walk in announcing itself as sin. It often crouches at the door looking for an opportunity to sneak in. So today instead of trying so hard not to commit the "obvious" sins, I'm just trying to focus on Him. Today, instead of trying not to drink the bleach under my kitchen sink, I'm just going to try to avoid the apple pie on my counter.
**Also, as a random side note, I find it interesting that I will write a blog and leave it saved but unfinished for weeks. Then in conversation, the very topic about which I am writing will arise and suddenly my blog is complete. God begins showing me an area in which I need to grow and then through His Word and friends around me, he cements it into my heart. God is good!
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