Heroes and Monuments

There has been much in the news lately about statues being torn down.  While reading about this, I also finished reading about the life of David in my daily Bible reading.  David, a well known and much loved man.  A man after God's heart, but so flawed.  He defeated Goliath, but he was also an adulterer and murderer.  He brought the ark of God back to Jerusalem, but he also abused his power.  I wonder, will the statue of David by Michelangelo be on the list of statues that fall?

This post isn't about statues coming down, but rather why statues should not go up in the first place.  Last year I wrote about the superhero movie craze.  Mankind has always looked for heroes.  We often find them in the wrong places and doing the wrong things.  Several times I've posted about my brother Rod and what a hero he was to me.  I've also written about his words to me regarding heroes:

"Kathy, that's why you have to be careful who you make your heroes. You can't choose athletes as heroes. They might do great things on the field, but that doesn't make them great people. True heroes are people of God."

We find the Ten Commandments in Exodus chapter 20. The first two commandments are:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Regarding the first commandment, Adam Clark's Commentary on the Bible put its well:

This commandment prohibits every species of mental idolatry, and all inordinate attachment to earthly and sensible things. As God is the fountain of happiness, and no intelligent creature can be happy but through him, whoever seeks happiness in the creature is necessarily an idolater; as he puts the creature in the place of the Creator, expecting that from the gratification of his passions, in the use or abuse of earthly things, which is to be found in God alone.

The very first commandment of the whole series is divinely calculated to prevent man’s misery and promote his happiness, by taking him off from all false dependence, and leading him to God himself, the fountain of all good.

Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible had much to say about graven images:

The prohibition: we are here forbidden to worship even the true God by images.

The Jews (at least after the captivity) thought themselves forbidden by this commandment to make any image or picture whatsoever. Hence the very images which the Roman armies had in their ensigns are called an abomination to them, especially when they were set up in the holy place.

It is certain that it forbids making any image of God (for to whom can we liken him?), or the image of any creature for a religious use. It is called the changing of the truth of God into a lie (Romans 1:25), for an image is a teacher of lies; it insinuates to us that God has a body, whereas he is an infinite spirit.

It also forbids us to make images of God in our fancies, as if he were a man as we are. Our religious worship must be governed by the power of faith, not by the power of imagination. They must not make such images or pictures as the heathen worshiped, lest they also should be tempted to worship them. Those who would be kept from sin must keep themselves from the occasions of it.

They must not bow down to them occasionally, that is, show any sign of respect or honor to them, much less serve them constantly, by sacrifice or incense, or any other act of religious worship. When they paid their devotion to the true God, they must not have any image before them, for the directing, exciting, or assisting of their devotion.

Though the worship was designed to terminate in God, it would not please him if it came to him through an image. The best and most ancient lawgivers among the heathen forbade the setting up of images in their temples. This practice was forbidden in Rome by Numa, a pagan prince; yet commanded in Rome by the pope, a Christian bishop, but, in this, anti-christian.

The use of images in the church of Rome, at this day, is so plainly contrary to the letter of this command, and so impossible to be reconciled to it, that in all their catechisms and books of devotion, which they put into the hands of the people, they leave out this commandment, joining the reason of it to the first; and so the third commandment they call the second, the fourth the third, etc.; only, to make up the number ten, they divide the tenth into two. Thus have they committed two great evils, in which they persist, and from which they hate to be reformed; they take away from God's word, and add to his worship.

That final paragraph is amazing.  Having been in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, I've seen the multitude of statues and images that fill it.  I'm not suggesting we ransack the building, but in all its glory, it definitely goes against God's commandments.

We are a society of idol worshipers.  From actors and athletes, to politicians and musicians.  We cheer, clap, and worship other gods.  No matter how great the person, none of them deserve a statue.  I think we should remember and honor good men and women, but our remembrance must not turn in to worship.  Putting other gods before the one true God has only brought trouble.

Soaring in Praise and Worship

As soon as Sis. Gallimore asked me to speak about Soaring in Praise and Worship, I started thinking and praying about what I wanted to say.  We arrived in Hawaii on Sunday, August 4th.  That Tuesday morning I went out for a run and came back with inspiration! 

My spot on Saturday morning as I prayed and reviewed my notes.

I decided to use the word SOAR as an acronym and teach from that.  This isn't my complete lesson, but here are my four main points:

S = Sacrifice

This means as a slaughter, the flesh of an animal.  In the Old Testament sacrifice always involved death.  In the New Testament Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice.

Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Albert Barnes commentary said this, “A sacrifice is an offering made to God as an atonement for sin; or any offering made to him and his service as an expression of thanksgiving. It implies that he who offers it presents it entirely, releases all claim or right to it, and leaves it to be disposed of for the honor of God. In the case of an animal, it was slain, and the blood offered; in the case of any other offering, as the first-fruits, etc., it was set apart to the service of God; and he who offered it released all claim on it, and submitted it to God, to be disposed of at his will.  We must devote ourselves to God, as if we no longer had any claim on ourselves; to be disposed of by him; to suffer and bear all that he might appoint; and to promote his honor in any way which he might command.”

O = Oblation

This is not a word we use these days.  It is only found in the Old Testament, but the concept of an oblation is very interesting.  It means something brought near the altar.  It denotes any offering that is not a “bloody” sacrifice - a thank-offering; an offering of incense, flour, grain, etc.

In Numbers chapter 31, the children of Israel went to battle against the Midianites.  Twelve thousand men of Israel went to battle.  All the men of Midian were killed, but not a single Israelite was lost.

Numbers 31:49-50 says, "And they said unto Moses, Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war which are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.   We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD."

This was a freewill offering, out of the spoil, over and above what was expected.  If we really want to soar in praise and worship we need to go over and above our reasonable service of sacrifice and bring an oblation.

A = Adoration

The words adore and adoration are not found in the Bible, although one of the definitions of worship is adore.

From Webster’s dictionary:

to worship or honor as a deity or as divine

to regard with loving admiration and devotion.

to be very fond of 

Mathew 8:2 says, "And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."  The leper worshipped before the need was met

Mathew 14:33 says, "And they that were in the boat worshipped him, saying, Of a truth thou art the Son of God."   Those in the ship worshipped after Jesus calmed the storm

It doesn't matter if you're in a storm or just coming out of a storm, it's always the right time to adore Him!

R = Rejoice

To brighten up, be gleesome, joyful, exceeding gladness, to shout for joy, to spin around

Full of cheer, calmly happy

I thought calmly happy was a very interesting definition.  It's not what we normally think of when we think "rejoice," it seems deeper than an outward demonstration.

1Samuel 2:1-2 says, "And Hannah prayed, and said: My heart exulteth in Jehovah; My horn is exalted in Jehovah; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as Jehovah; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God."

Mathew 2:10 says, "And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy."  The definition of this word rejoice is calmly happy.

Conclusion:

To SOAR in worship and praise we must:

Bring the sacrifice of our lives,

Bring an oblation that is beyond what is expected

Adore Him because He’s worthy

Rejoice for all He’s done!

The Alabaster Box

My Bible reading today included the verses in Matthew chapter 26 that talk about the woman with the alabaster box.  When I studied Women in the Bible in 2015 I was surprised to learn that there were two women who anointed Jesus with oil from an alabaster box.  I posted my original thoughts here.

I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about and studying this subject since then.  Last year I taught a lesson to the ladies at New Life Pentecostal in Honolulu about this.  I wanted to share those thoughts here today.

These accounts are recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 7 and John 12.  The story in Luke is quite different from the accounts found in Matthew, Mark, and John. Only in Luke chapter 7 is the woman called a sinner. Her sins, according to Jesus, were many. There are interesting differences and similarities to these stories:

In both cases, Jesus is in the home of one named Simon. In Luke he is called a Pharisee. In Matthew and Mark, he is called "Simon the leper." Simon was a common name - there was Simon Peter, Simon the Cyrenian who carried Jesus' cross, and Judas Iscariot was the son of Simon - so it wouldn't be strange that Jesus visited the homes of two men with that same name.

In Matthew, Mark and John this takes place in Bethany, the city of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. In Luke they are in Nain, which was approximately 60 miles from Bethany.

There are other similarities in the stories as well. In both cases there were those who criticized. “Why was this waste made?” In Luke it was said “This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. “

The beauty in both cases is what Jesus did. Jesus accepted the sacrifice! The sacrifice from the heart of a worshiper. Jesus never rebuked the woman who was a sinner but told the parable of the two debtors, concluding with "Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.“ He said “Thy sins are forgiven.” He never spoke to the woman in the other accounts but said to those who criticized, “I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, that this woman hath done, be told for a memorial of her.”

Only in John is the woman called Mary. I believe the woman in Matthew, Mark and John was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus.  Jesus had been in their home, she sat at His feet and He raised her brother from the dead. The woman in Luke was only known as a woman of the city who was a sinner. This may have been her very first encounter with the Master.

I think this makes the example of the alabaster ointment even more powerful. We all have an alabaster box. It’s our worship, our time, our talent, our finances. We’ve seen a brand new soul walk into a service and be deeply touched as they are in the presence of the Lord for the very first time. And we've watched “seasoned” saints worship beside them.

Just like what happened to those women, there will be those who will criticize and say, “What a waste! Why are you wasting so much time at the church?” Or there will be others who will look at your past and tell you that you aren’t worthy to touch Him.

No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, we always have an alabaster box to pour at His feet. And Jesus will always respond. He will grant forgiveness and healing. He won’t turn away from our worship.  May we have a fresh touch of the wonder of being in His presence. May we kneel at His feet again and pour out our thanks and praise from a thankful heart.

Must Read Blogs

Three posts in one day!  I guess I have a lot to say today.

In the past week I have read many blogs.  I enjoy reading about the lives of my friends, seeing pictures, reading encouraging words, etc.  Three have stood out to me and I want to share them with you.

The Drama of The Waiting Room - Bro. Ballestero's blog is always a wonderful read.  This post was exceptional. We've all been in the waiting room of life, many are there now. " 'According to this log,” she said, “not very many get discharged the same day they come. The good news that I see here, is that the Doctor has an amazing success rate. I am not really in love with the idea of waiting, but I don’t plan to leave here until my baby gets well.' "

Pure Worship - Echoes from the Elms is the blog of Sis. Linda Elms, the daughter of my first pastor, Bro. Murray Layne.  Her words about worship in the church are right on. "If there's a song that feels a little "strange" when we sing it, or something in our spirit doesn't feel right, maybe we shouldn't be singing it. If we're living close to God like we should be the Holy Ghost will lead us in what we should and shouldn't sing."

I Could Swing My Ponytail, Too - Kelley Highway is the home of Sis. Kelley Dibble, missionary to the Philippines.  This post is a must read for every lady.  "There is so much more to wrap around modesty than a ponytail holder."  Please also read the article that is linked there - When Women Draw Attention to Themselves.

What great blogs have you read this week?

Surely the Presence

We started our fourth week of revival last night with a beautiful move of the Spirit of God.  Bro. Brown preached from Genesis chapter 28.  Jacob is on the run from Esau.  He stops for the night and falls asleep.  It is there that he has a dream of a ladder to heaven with angels ascending and descending upon it.  Verse 16 says, "And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not."  Bro. Brown talked to us about missing the presence of the Lord when He is trying to move in a service.

As I was praying towards the end of the service, I thought of something that was said in Sis. Ballestero's funeral.  I think it was one of her daughters who said, "She had a Martha and a Mary spirit.  She could cook and serve like none other, but she always took time to sit at Jesus' feet."  I felt convicted of being out of balance ~ way too much Martha-ing and not enough sitting at His feet.

If you're involved in your church like I am, it's easy for the serving side to get out of balance.  There is always work to be done ~ Always!  There are services to play for, choirs to direct, classes to teach, bathrooms to clean, souls to pray with.  But I found myself guilty last night of missing His presence in recent services.  I've prayed, but mostly with others.  And that's not wrong, but I can't help anyone if I am running on empty.

I woke up singing this morning.  My spirit was refreshed.  I had to go to the piano and play this old song.

THERE'S A SWEET, SWEET SPIRIT

There’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place
And I know that it’s the presence of the Lord.
There are sweet expressions on each face.
And I know they feel the presence of the Lord.
Sweet holy Spirit, sweet heavenly Dove
Stay right here with us, filling us with Your love.
And for these blessings, we lift our hearts in praise.
Without a doubt we’ll know that we have been revived
when we shall leave this place. 

I never want to leave a service saying, "Surely the LORD was in this place; and I knew it not."

And Beheld Your Devotions

(St. Mark's Basilica in Venice)

While on our trip we had the opportunity to visit some of the world's most famous churches. St. Peter's Basilica in Rome is the largest basilica in the world. We also saw St. Mark's Basilica in Venice and many, many other cathedrals. There was one in Venice that left my spirit so disturbed, the paintings and sculptures were a mix of religious, mystical and mythical characters.

Now before I get in trouble for bashing sincere people who follow the teachings of the Catholic church, that is not the point of this post. I felt like Paul as he stood on Mars hill in Acts chapter 17. "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions..." He continues his message by saying, "Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device." 95% of the population of Italy is Catholic. They are sincere in their devotion to the teachings of the Catholic church. The problem is how far the teachings are from the Word of God.

(St. Peter's Basilica in Rome)

Our guide in Rome gave us some history about the sculpture of Peter shown below. He is holding keys in his hand. Those keys represent the keys that Jesus gave to him in Matthew chapter 16 "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven."


I thought how true that is, Peter did have the keys, but how far they've strayed from the message that Peter preached! Acts 2:38 says, "Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Peter also said in Acts 4:12 "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

In Acts chapter 10, when Peter went in to Cornelius' house "...Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up; I myself also am a man." Peter knew that there was only One worthy to be worshiped!

On the back of a "Welcome to the Vatican" pamphlet are words from Pope Benedict - "Let Us pray to Mary, Mother of the Lord, so that she will enable us to feel her love as a woman and mother, in which we can understand all the depth of Christ's mystery. The Lord bless you all!" I wonder how Mary would feel if she could see how she is worshiped today. Her response to the angel's prophecy was simply "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." Would she who became a willing vessel be appalled at the number of churches that are named for her?

(Front of a church in Tindari, Sicily)

We don't see that kind of worship as much in America. Our idols aren't saints or disciples, ours play on football fields and in movie theaters. We're devoted to People magazine and American Idol. More and more our gods are ourselves. The first of the ten commandments is still "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" followed by the second, "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."

So my spirit has been stirred. I want to check my own heart to make sure the only One on the throne, the only One I worship, is Jesus Christ, God manifest in the flesh, the One Who came to save His people from their sins.

2011 - The Year of Obsession

More than a month ago I received this Quote of the Day in my email from Runner's World:

The obsession with running is really an obsession with the potential for more and more life.

I love the second part - "potential for more and more life" because Jesus said "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly," but hesitated to post it because of the use of the word "obsession." Obsession has such a negative connotation. I thought I'd look it up in Webster's online dictionary, here is what I found:

a persistent disturbing preoccupation with an often unreasonable idea or feeling

Examples include:

1. He was fascinated by the actress and tracking her every move had become an obsession.
2. She has an obsession about cleanliness.
3. Her concern about cleanliness approaches the level of obsession.
4. Money has become an obsession for him.

But tucked in, after all the negative tones, was this:

compelling motivation

Aha! That's what I'm talking about! So let's take those same examples above and make a few changes:

1. He was fascinated by the Bible and reading it daily had become a compelling motivation.
2. She has a compelling motivation about godliness.
3. Her concern about winning the lost approaches the level of compelling motivation.
4. Worship and praise has become a compelling motivation for him.

As we enter 2011, we can choose what we are obsessed with. I know there are many who think going to church more than once a week is obsessive! That's okay! I want to get up every morning with a compelling motivation to live my life to it fullest potential for Him! I want to attend every pre-service prayer meeting with the compelling motivation to make a difference. I want my worship to be obsessive! Will you join me in making 2011 The Year of Obsession?

Thanks to my friend, Jen Lord, for pointing to me to "Magnificent Obsession" by Steven Curtis Chapman:

Lord, You know how much
I want to know so much
In the way of answers and explanations
I have cried and prayed
And still I seem to stay
In the middle of life’s complications
All this pursuing leaves me feeling like I’m chasing down the wind
But now it’s brought me back to You
And I can see again

This is everything I want
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession

So capture my heart again
Take me to depths I’ve never been
Into the riches of Your grace and Your mercy
Return me to the cross
And let me be completely lost
In the wonder of the love
That You’ve shown me
Cut through these chains that tie me down to so many lesser things
Let all my dreams fall to the ground
Until this one remains

This is everything I want
This is everything I need
I want this to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession

You are everything I want
And You are everything I need
Lord, You are all my heart desires
You are everything to me

You are everything I want
You are everything I need
I want You to be my one consuming passion
Everything my heart desires
Lord, I want it all to be for You
I want it all to be for You

Lord, I want it all to be for You, Jesus
Be my magnificent obsession