Does Your Well Have Ants?

Mike Hosey, An Elder

My house is usually watered by a well and a pump.  That system pulls refreshing, cool, aquifer water from about 90 feet below my property and deposits it into a giant, ugly, blue, upright tank sitting in my south lawn.  The tank becomes pressurized as it fills with water, and that pressure then pushes the water into my house, where I use it for bathing, drinking, cooking, cleaning -- and frankly -- a lot of things that are absolutely essential for a healthy life.

Perhaps you noticed that I said I usually get my water from that system.  That’s because sometimes the system fails.  Every year or so, I get a bunch of ants around that well, and for some reason, they crawl into the pressure switch.  That’s a switch that turns on when the pressure in the tank gets too low to push water into the house, and it turns off when that pressure is just right, so that the tank always has the right amount of life giving water in it.  It’s automatic -- which makes life a lot better.  But when those ants get into that switch, their bodies get caught between the switch’s metal contacts, so electricity stops flowing to the pump, and the pump stops pulling water into the tank, and I no longer get water in my house.  As you might imagine, this becomes a problem pretty fast! In fact, it was from this repeated experience that I learned really well how much water means to the operation of my family.   I seriously like to bathe (especially in Florida) every day. I don’t want to wallow in the filth that I often pick up just by being in the world.  So Thank goodness those ants aren’t automatic like the pump!

But they’re not automatic because I now diligently make my yard poisonous to their presence!

Sometimes, though, we get A.N.T.S. in our life.  That is, we get Automatic Negative Thinking Syndrome.  When we choose to focus on the negatives in our situations (and it IS a choice) rather than see the positives, our negative focus can eventually become automatic.  At that point, you’ve got ants in your spiritual well and pump.  The flow (Psalm 1:3) to your spiritual house dries to a trickle, and you no longer have water for bathing, cooking, cleaning – or frankly – a lot of things essential for a healthy life!

This is why it is important to discipline our minds to see the good that God has put in our lives, and in the world around us (Philippians 4:6-8).  Doing this makes your mind and spirit poisonous to A.N.T.S.

Eternity or Eternal Life?

Mike Hosey, An Elder

The standard definition for eternity is usually some variation of infinite or unending time. And while this definition works in most ways that we apply it in our everyday speech, it is inadequate by itself for helping us understand what the bible really speaks of when it teaches about eternity.

Eternity in the bible is always seated in the midst of eternal life and eternal death. For instance, the bible tells us that Jesus came to give us eternal life (Romans 6:23), but it also tells us that those who never allow God to change them will have an eternal death – a second death after their physical body dies (Daniel 12:2, Matthew 25:46, Revelation 20:14).

The second death is one in which a person has eternal separation – that is an infinite and unending time – from the presence of God. They are never to have God again, which means they are now separated from everything that makes life worthwhile, because God is the source of all good things (James 1:17).

But those who submit their will to God and allow him to change them have eternal life (1 John 5:13). Notice how that verse is in the present tense: so that we may know that we have eternal life. The moment that Jesus becomes your Lord you have an unending, infinite life. You will be eternally paired with God, the source of all good things! The interesting part of that truth, though, isn't just the “eternity” aspect of it, but the life aspect of it.

Things that are alive grow and reproduce. They are vibrant, full of motion, energy, and constant change, while also remaining at their core, the same.

The person who does not know Jesus loses forever all vibrancy when they die. And even while they are alive, they cannot experience true life. The person who submits to Jesus allows an already dying and non vibrant life to cease, and gains a true and eternal life marked by a constant connection to God. 

The PURSUIT of ___________?

Mike Hosey, An Elder

One of the great things about the Bible is how it is so well confirmed by prophecy. Consider the birth of Jesus and some of the prophecies surrounding it. 700 years or so before Jesus was born, the prophet Micah told us He would be born in Bethlehem (Micah 5:2) – and so He was.

Knowledgeable Jews of Jesus’ era knew this prophecy well, and directed the wise men of the Christmas story to His place of birth when those wise men asked where they might worship Him (Matthew 2:1-6). Ironically, a few decades later, knowledgeable Jews ignored this fulfilled prophecy and help set up conditions responsible for His crucifixion!

The prophet Isaiah also made a similar prophetic utterance about 700 years before the birth of Jesus.  He said that Jesus would be born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14) – and He was.

Interestingly, the prophet Jeremiah foreshadowed the weeping that would be caused by King Herod killing all the young male children in his kingdom in an attempt to cancel the prophecies regarding Jesus, who would be a new and better king (Jeremiah 31:15, Matthew 2:17-18) than Herod.

But one of the most fascinating prophecies is Isaiah’s claim that Jesus would be called Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14).  The word Immanuel means “God with us.”  This is fascinating because God literally stepped out of Heaven and walked among us in the person of Jesus.  Jesus was, in fact, God with us!

God did this miraculous feat to help us pursue eternal life (John 3:16).  Not so that we could pursue eternity.  Eternity is already guaranteed to every man.  But Jesus was among us so that we may pursue eternal life (John 10:10).

Once a person knows Jesus, they stop pursuing sin.  At that moment of submitting to the power of Jesus, they begin to pursue life.  Before Jesus, they pursued death (Romans 6:23).

The Bible tells us that we are the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27).  If that is so, then we represent God among men. We are the closest thing that others might have to God.  And if that is so, you need to ask the question, “What am I doing to follow the example of Jesus and to help people pursue eternal life?”

No Man is an Island

Mike Hosey, an Elder

In 1624, John Donne, the cleric and poet, published in one of his devotional writings the solid truth that “no man is an island.” In that writing, he was talking about death, and arguing that all humanity is connected, and that the loss of one is a loss to all.  We’ve taken his statement somewhat out of its context and popularized it to make another solid truth. Today, we take his statement to mean that no man can live apart from others. In other words, a man or woman can’t really survive without the help of other men and women. 

Both truths have profound meaning. 

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son . . . (John 3:16).  God’s love for the world of men was so great that He sent His son in order that none would die. He did not want them to be an island apart from his life giving presence. In fact, He did not want even a single one to perish (2 Peter 3:9). The idea of the loss of even one is so terrible that God tried to rescue that one by sending the only righteous man who ever lived to a criminal’s cross. 

This is our ultimate example.  In all likelihood, you have not had an opportunity to imitate that example. And probably, no one but Jesus has ever lived it out it for you. On the other hand, it is very likely that someone has helped you in your life. Someone has held your hand, moved you down a path, or picked you up when you fell down. Most importantly, if you are a true follower of Jesus, then someone helped you by telling you about Him. And it’s likely that someone is helping you to understand Him, or to know Him even better, at this very moment.  You are not an island, and you never have been. 

And neither is anyone around you.  This is something Paul understood. He knew that no one was going to hear the gospel unless someone told them. He knew that if lost men were to hear the gospel, then they must not be allowed to be islands. Paul instructs us in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 that we are to make ourselves all things to all people so that we may bring them the blessings of the gospel.

Think about a time when someone helped you to understand something! Now go do the same for someone else, and help them to know the greatest friend they could ever have. Don’t let anyone think they are an island!

Helping is Loving

Mike Hosey, An Elder

It might be best to define love as being committed to the well-being of others.  Whether or not such a definition fully describes the concept, it would be hard to argue that it isn’t at least a very significant component of that action that God calls every one of us to do.  Give this a try:  look up all the instances of the word “love” in the Bible, and replace them with the proper grammatical variation of the word commitment.  You will find in almost every meaningful occurrence that the match is near perfect. Just consider the Bible’s most well-known love verse, John 3:16.  For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son . . .  For God was so committed to the world that he gave his only begotten son . . .

So how do people actualize such love?  Well, one place to start is by being a helper.  You don’t have to possess some super spiritual, magical, Old Testament prophet-like force to do it.  Anyone can be a helper.  When you see someone in need, meet the need with whatever ability you have.  We are, after all, commanded to do this. Philippians 2:4, for instance, tells us to look out not only for our own interests, but the interests of others.   Galatians 6:2 tells us that bearing one another’s burdens is fulfilling the law of Christ.  And John 15:12 tells us to love others – to be committed to others – as Christ has loved us.  Christ loved us by helping us in a totally sacrificial way. It’s no accident that Jesus gives us the story of the Good (and sacrificially helpful) Samaritan as an illustration of love (Luke 10:27), as well as what it means to be a good neighbor (Luke 10:25-37).

When you help someone, you give them an opportunity to advance. You also are an agent of God’s love and power in a world that desperately needs him.

In fact, take a moment to think of a time when someone has helped you, and where you would be if they had chosen to keep their helps to themselves!  You can have that same power – and even more. If you look around, you will find ample opportunities to be that agent of God. You’ll find them in church because churches always need help.  But more importantly, you will find them on your DAILY walks.

A Thorn in the Flesh Makes for a Spiritual Rose

Mike Hosey, An Elder

In Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth, he makes a very curious statement.  In 2 Corinthians 12:7, he writes about a thorn in his flesh, and states that it was put there to keep him humble. His thorny statement has been the subject of a lot of debate among students of the Bible for a very long time.  Some people argue that it was a physical ailment, some people claim it was a recurring temptation, some people contend it was a speech impediment. Personally, I side with those who argue that he was writing about another person, and I have a number of reasons for this. First it was brought to him by a messenger of Satan.  The Greek word for messenger in the New Testament almost always refers to a person, or an angel. Of course, this may also indicate Satanic involvement like that in the book of Job. Secondly, it makes more sense to understand the thorn as a spiritual or emotional ailment, since it was given to him to keep him from becoming conceited because of the incredible greatness of all the revelations he had received. Opposition from another person is far more likely to produce that result than a physical impairment. Third, the idiom “thorn,” in the Old Testament often refers to oppositional people (Numbers 33:55, Joshua 23:13). Fourth, we know that

By John Desjarlais from Pasadena, USA (Flickr) 

Paul sometimes had to contend with difficult false teachers (2 Timothy 4:14).

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you choose to look at it) the Bible doesn’t tell us what the thorn actually was.  Perhaps this is because its relevance isn’t about the actual thorn itself (whatever it was), but about God’s sovereignty in our lives (2 Corinthians 12:9).  Paul tells us that the thorn was given to him to keep him from getting conceited for the wisdom and knowledge God had shared with him.

Leave it to God to do things like that.  He will throw a barrier into our lives in order to keep us properly humble, and to remind us that He is in charge, and not us.  And in doing such a thing, God is ultimately growing us to be wiser, have more patience, and to be more subject to his grace and authority.

Those thorns may prick our flesh, but at the end of their stems, God makes blooming roses. 

You Want to Change Your Life? Start by Being Thankful.

An Elder

One thing I've noticed in life is that thankfulness and negativity do not go together. In fact, I've never met a negative person who was also truly thankful. Nor have I met a positive person who was ungrateful. Even more contrasting is that a lack of thankfulness might actually lead to a whole host of evils. Thankful people, after all, have a perspective, or a mindset, that helps guard their heart from darkness. Perhaps this is why the bible speaks so much about having a thankful heart.

The psalmist commands us to give thanks to the Lord because He's good and His steadfast love endures forever (Psalm 106:1). This command is so profound that it is repeated exactly that way at least 4 times throughout the bible. But it isn't just the command of the psalmist singing his song. It's also intimated by Paul in his letter to the Thessalonians. He tells them to give thanks in ALL circumstances, because this is the WILL of God (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is the will of God that we be thankful in ALL circumstances.

Now for a moment, you might think Paul a bit callous. What do you mean Paul? Do you mean that those people who witnessed the bloodshed in Paris a week ago in a very up-close-and-personal way should be thankful for that traumatic experience? Well obviously, Paul isn't telling us that we are to be thankful for the evil that comes our way. We are to shun evil – even hate it (Proverbs 14:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:22). Instead, Paul's point is that we are to be thankful that God is in control, has a plan for our ultimate well being, and is seeing to it that the lives of those submitted to him will have meaning, purpose, and an ultimate reward (Romans 8:28-29). God knows that in order for us to be truly thankful, that we will have to acknowledge His place in our lives as provider, protector, author and finisher, and to recognize our place in the universe – which is to be a subject of the greatest of all kings.

When we are thankful, we cannot be ungrateful. When we are thankful, we cannot be resentful. People are never disobedient to those masters to whom they are really thankful. When we are thankful, it is difficult to be arrogant or proud. Now, notice what people who don't know Jesus will look like at the end of time on earth. 2 Timothy 3:1-5 tells us they will be arrogant, proud, disobedient and among many other things, ungrateful!

So if everything around you looks dark, follow the commands of the bible, and find something to be thankful to God for. If you look, you will find many things.  And it will change your perspective.  

Rash Decisions and a Little Honey

Mike Hoey, an Elder

If you are anything like me (or most of the human race) you’ve made some rash decisions in your life.  I’ve discovered that these decisions are almost always birthed from a place of emotion, rather than a true faith.  In my experience, the rashest decisions are made from negative emotions, although I’ve also made some rash decisions from quite a few “feel good” moments as well. As a side note, these rash decisions can be avoided through prayer, and by seeking the will of God (John 5:30, Hebrews 4:12).

We begin making rash decisions based on emotions from an early age.  I know one little boy, who, when he would get in trouble with his parents, would blurt out, “I’m never going to eat again!”  His parents will tell you how he would tell them not to pack him a lunch, and how when they, being good parents, would pack one anyway, he would throw it in the trash while at school.  His rash decision only made his situation worse, since by the time he got home he would be tired, irritable, and even more prone to getting into trouble.  At that age, he didn’t have the sense to understand fully the needs of his body, or the social, cultural, or disciplinary needs of the situation he was in.  You’ve seen that kind of behavior with adults before too, I’m sure. “I’m never going to that church again!” “I’m never going to talk to that person again until they do x, y, or z.”  Too many times, we make unconscious decisions not to enjoy ourselves until some unrealistic criterion is met.  For instance, “I’m not worthy to enjoy myself there because of what I did then.”  Such rash decisions are dangerous because they deprive us of things that we actually need.

Saul made a similar decision in 1 Samuel 14:24-30.  The men of Israel were engaged in battle with the Philistines. They were hard pressed and taking losses.  Saul charged the men not to eat until the evening, and until his enemies had been pounded pretty decently. As you can imagine, an unfed soldier doesn’t do as well in battle. Interestingly, Saul’s son, Jonathon didn’t hear the command, and when he came upon some honey, he took some, and his mood and general constitution were enhanced.  The people told him of his transgression, but he immediately knew that his father’s command had prevented them from doing better in battle.

Here’s the thing to remember: A) avoid rash decisions.  Instead seek God first, and B) remember that you NEED to taste and experience the good things of God at the appropriate times.