Who’s Name Are You Standing Up For?

Do you want to see a player get angry? Call them out and say they don’t have the ability will, or character needed to do the task at hand. This isn’t a newly found behavior…just go to a local playground and watch the response if a child is told the same thing. Have you ever thought that the reward for actively defending your “reputation” wasn’t worth the price to do it? A better alterative is to make sure people know the true nature of the God we serve.

Men like Pharaoh, the Pharisees, and Pilate were all worried about defending their reputation…you can see how that turned out. Men like Joseph and Job were more concerned with obeying God than proving their critics wrong. Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendnego were thrown in a furnace for refusing to worship a god other than the God they served (Daniel 3). The furnace was so hot that it killed the soldiers who placed then in the furnace, but Shadrach, Meschach, and Abendgo walked out unharmed. David was determined to fight Goliath so God could show His glory in taking out this disgraced Philistine who was trying to defy the armies of the living God.

In Elijah’s day, the people of Israel began worshipping Baal…to the point where Elijah was God’s only prophet in Israel (there were 450 Baal prophets). Elijah had a contest with Baal’s prophets to show the people of Israel that God is the ONLY God (1 Kings 18:16-40). Baal’s prophets could not get Baal to light their altar for their sacrifice despite dancing and cutting themselves. Elijah poured water over his altar 3 times and prayed “…let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” God sent fire than burned the sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and the soil…it even licked up the water in the trench.

We can have 1 of 2 responses when others have a different view or criticize us. We can be about self-preservation/promotion and make it all about ourselves OR we can stop and think how will God be glorified in my response.

Are You Playing Not to Lose?

If you watch many football games, you will likely hear a commentator discuss the perils of a prevent defense (a defense where the team with the lead is willing to give up chunks of yards because they think it gives them the best chance of winning). Some commentators will go so far as to say that the only thing a prevent defense does is prevent a team from winning. While one can certainly debate the relative strengths and limitations of the prevent defense in football, I believe God is firmly against us living life in a “prevent defense” type of mode.

God promised the Israelites that He would rescue them from Egypt and give them a “...good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey...” (Exodus 3:8). That being said, God didn't want the Israelites to just be on cruise control seeking comfort and actively demonstrating their faith in God. God gave the Israelites opportunities to grow and reveal their faith in Him. Likewise, David was anointed the future king of Israel as a young shepherd boy (1st Samuel 16:1-13), but still hat to face Goliath (1st Samuel 17) and be harassed by King Saul. Another example is Jesus' calling of Peter to be fishers of men (Matthew 4:18-20). Peter and the disciples were certainly not on a vacation cruise of the Mediterranean just listening to Jesus talk about how wonderful heaven is going to be one of these days....in fact Peter and the disciples were in for all sorts of persecution including being arrested and killed for proclaiming that Jesus is the resurrected Messiah.

While the eternal destination of all people who have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour is known and not in doubt, this knowledge doesn't mean that we should just live the rest of our lives seeking comfort. We are to be like John, preparing the way for Christ's return to Earth....telling all who will listen “...I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ' Make straight the way for the Lord'” (John 1:23). Let's go about life swinging for the fences and not just limping to the finish line with a prevent defense to gain temporary comfort.

Commitment to Excellence

If you follow the history of the National Football League, you are probably familiar with Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis' slogan “commitment to excellence”. The slogan seemed quite fitting back when the Raiders won 3 Super Bowls between 1976 and 1983. Now, the once proud franchise (and owner) appear to be in disarray. The team struggles to have a winning record, fires coaches on a routine basis, and is considered a laughing stock of the league.

That only happens out in the “secular” world though, right? Well, the Israelites had a proud history out being God's chosen people that were delivered from bondage and given the promised land. However, they often failed to remember why these great moments in their history occurred and focused on “their” strength (or weakness) instead of relying on God. Many Jews during Jesus' day thought they had everything figured out and wound up missing out on the Messiah, the cornerstone of our faith (Romans 9:33). Another example is Judas, one of the 12 disciples, who wound up selling out Jesus for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 27:3-10).

Certainly, none of us are perfect and we all lose focus. Peter is a great example of this as he walked on water (Matthew 14:27-30), preached the sermon at Pentecost where 3,000 were saved (Acts 2:38-41), and was crucified upside down because he told the authorities that he was not worthy to die in the same fashion as Jesus. However, at times he lost focus chopping off a Roman soldier's ear (John 18:10), denying Christ 3 times before the crucifixion (John 18:25-27), and wanting to build altars to Moses and Elijah on the mountain instead of focusing on Christ (Mark 9:5-7).

We are told to live in “manner worthy of the gospel of Christ” (Philippians 1:27). Fortunately, we are also given the truth that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). So, are you ready to live a life dedicated to Christ where others see the commitment to excellence you display?

Hope and Change

We've already heard a lot about hope and change in this presidential race. How one candidate can improve America and our lives better than the other. One candidate talks about how decreasing taxes and government involvement will solve all America's ills. The other talks about how the government needs to increase taxes on businesses and the rich to level the playing field for all Americans. I am not here to tell you which side is closer to the correct answer or who to vote for this November. However, I believe that God is the only one who can offer us the blueprint for the hope and change we so deeply desire.

We are taught to be honest in our dealings or “not have two differing measures in our house” (Deuteronomy 25:13-16). When an Israelite was freeing a servant, the owner was to “supply him liberally from your flock, your threshing floor, and your winepress. Give to him as the Lord your God has blessed you.” (Deuteronomy 15:13-15). In short, we are to “maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed” (Psalm 82:3) and be a “refuge for the needy” (Isiah 25:4).

I would hate for us to think that this is just an Old Testament thing, so here are a few example from the New Testament. In Galatians 2:10, we are reminded to remember the poor and to be eager to do so. In Acts 6:1-6 we are told of the selection of the seven to help ensure that widows were not overlooked when food was being distributed. In Matthew 12:31 we are told to “love your neighbor as yourself”...there doesn't seem to be an exception to exclude the poor here.

Regardless of your political affiliation, we can serve as God's agents of hope and change for the poor. Job found that wealth can be given, lost, and given again...wealth does not define our relationship with God and should not define our relationships with people. Jesus warned us that “a man's life does not consist of his possessions” (Luke 12:15). So, let's treat all people fairly and be the agents of hope and change that God desires us to be.

Meatloaf and Manna

Have you ever been to a dinner table and heard the expression "Oh no…meatloaf again" (feel free to insert your own dish here)? The Israelites complained about eating manna every day and not having meat to eat (Numbers 11:6). They were so frustrated that they claimed they would be better off back in Egypt (Numbers 11:18). Obviously, the Israelites were so frustrated that they forgot that God delivered them from Egypt by parting the Red Sea and drowning the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:26-31) and the promised land still to be given to them (Exodus 4:16-17).

Before we say that we would never be like that, how often do we say how much better things would be if God would only give us this or that? What is it in your case…a raise, a promotion, a fancier car, a nicer place to live, more or better friends, a husband/wife, a child…something else? Have we forgotten what God has already done for us (John 3:16) and what He has promised to do for us (Jeremiah 29:11, John 14:1-4)?

The funny thing about thinking that anything other than God will complete our joy is that it will always leave us wanting more. Wyatt Earp asked in the movie Tombstone, "What makes a man like Ringo, Doc, makes him do the things he does?" To which Doc Holliday answers, "A man like Ringo got a has great empty hole running right through the middle of him...he can never kill enough, or steal enough, or inflict enough pain to ever fill it." Only God can make the joy of our salvation complete (Psalm 51:12) and our obedience to His commands allows us remain in His love (John 15:9-11).