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On wasting time …

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By Larry Short

Because I had a lovely a four-day vacation last week, I have been thinking about a recent blog from one of my favorite technology writers, Seth Godin: “Wasting Time Is Not a Waste.”

Basically Seth defines (with tongue in cheek, I’m sure) “wasted time” as any time that’s not directly devoted to productivity (working). And then he says, while we certainly can “waste time” poorly, it is so much better to “waste time” well.

Wasting time well (which is not a waste!) is measured, Seth says, by the extent to which our investment of “wasted time”: 1) brings us needed rest, 2) brings us important discovery, or 3) brings us joy.

I like that! It also got me to thinking about a biblical view of “wasted time.” From the very beginning, God ordained a cyclical 24-hour period of rest for we weak and frail human beings who don’t know any better (and that’s apparently all of us), and He called it “Sabbath.” In Sabbath, we were obviously to rest, that was a fundamental part of the fourth commandment as revealed in Exodus 20:8-11 …

 8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

The impetus for the Sabbath was resting from our work, while resting in God’s work. Jewish scholars took the “resting from our work” part very seriously and exhibited great pains in defining exactly what “rest” meant. But there is so much more when it comes to the “rest” we should observe as Sabbath. There were also elements of discovery … and if you dig deeper, elements of joy!

Over and over again in Exodus, the Sabbath is referred to as a day “holy unto the Lord.” Ch. 31:16 says the Sabbath was to be “celebrated.” It was an occasion for joy, even in the midst of “denying yourself” (Lev. 6:31). And a denial of self, in Scripture, is always portrayed (as Stan alluded to on Sunday) as a refocusing from self to others. First and foremost, denial of self means refocusing upon God.

This is why the Jews attended synagogue on the Sabbath. Lev. 23:3 calls it “a day of sacred assembly,” a day in which to show reverence for the Tabernacle or the Temple as God’s dwelling place. Discovery of who God was and how to draw near to Him, in the sacred assembly, was a part of the “rest” that God required, a refocusing upon the person and work of God (and off of ourselves and our own desires).

Such discovery of God results in joy, as Jesus assured us in John 17 when (in the midst of His greatest trial) He prayed that we would experience His fullness of joy.

So, I think Seth hits it right on the head. If vacations are simply wasting time in empty pursuits of self-gratification and “entertainment,” then they are truly a waste. But if during your vacation you can truly get rested up, engage upon a discovery of who God is and who we are in right relation to Him, and experience as a result the joy that knowing God and loving Christ brings to our hearts, such “wasted time” is far from a waste!

For more reflections from Larry, subscribe to his blogs:

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Knock, knock … who’s there?

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by Gordy McCoy

I have a brass ship’s bell on the front door post that our son-in-law Jack likes to ring sometimes when he comes over.

One day Jack came to the door and I was in my sweats, unshaven, and still tired from having a busy weekend. The curtains weren’t open yet, not because it was particularly early, but just because I was moving a little slow that morning. There stood Jack and all I could think about was our messy house. The dining room table still had all  the dishes from the get together we had with our community group.We always have so much fun with all of them and after everyone left, we didn’t tidy up the house, we just called it a night.

Oh well. Jack didn’t care. I invited him in and he didn’t even notice all the clutter. He knows we lead a busy life and his purpose coming over did not include a “house check.” He’s our son-in-law …and also a friend.

I thought about Jesus and the fact He feels comfortable with my busy life. He’s always kind to me amid the chaos, and like Jack, He just wants to spend time with us. No need to try to hide the “messes” in our lives, we all need a little cleaning up and He is the One to do it.

Jack knows we are busy about our Father’s business. Ministry can sometimes be messy and time consuming … but, oh, so worth it. I realize there are times others minister to me and my family.

So when your house gets messy and life gets hectic because you are busy with life with Him, remember we are also setting an example for our children and grandchildren. “I have no greater joy than to hear my children walking in The Truth” (3 John 4).

KNOCK, KNOCK …who’s knocking on your door? Let them in.

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JESUS: “Who is this man?”

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by Martin Schlomer

Last Sunday, I spoke on the Deity of Jesus as a part of the doctrine series, “Foundations.” While it is essential for believers at Elim to understand and be able to support from Scripture the Deity of Jesus, it is also important that we understand how to address some objections that are raised regarding His Deity. When you talk to Jehovah’s Witnesses they will quickly point out two objections which I will deal with in this Last Word.

Speaking of Jesus in Colossians 1.15, Paul writes, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” At first glance, calling Jesus “the firstborn” appears to teach that He is God’s offspring, born into existence at some point in time and that He is not the eternal pre-existent God. Therefore, JW’s will use this verse to support their belief that Jesus is a created being.

Is this what this verse teaches? The Greek term for “firstborn” can refer to a child who is the firstborn in a family. However, it is also used to describe a person who is preeminent in rank. This second usage is a very common and represents Paul’s usage in Colossians 1.15. His emphasis is on the priority of Jesus’ rank as over and above ALL creation as indicated in the very next verse. This is why Paul goes on to write in Colossians 2.9 “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form….” Christ is the head over everyone and everything!

The second verse that can be confusing when discussing the Deity of Jesus is the King James translation of John 3.16 which reads, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Once again, it appears that the word “begotten” teaches that Jesus is God’s offspring, born into existence at some point in time. However, this translation is very misleading. While the Greek term can be used to indicate an only child (Luke 7.12; 9.38) it is also used to describe a person who was unique, set apart, one of a kind. This is how the term is intended here and should therefore be translated “his one and only son” or “his only son” to communicate this one of a kind identity that belongs only to Jesus Christ.

Why is this important? As our culture moves further and further away from its Christian roots and understanding of the Bible, cults will become more and more influential in society. As followers of Christ, we must have clarity in our understanding of the core historic beliefs of Christianity and Scripture.

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Personal and Corporate Growth

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by Brian Sharpe

I would hope as believers our hearts desire would be to grow in our relationship with Jesus.  I would hope that we would say specifically that our relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship we have.  When we look at the Bible both of these statements are at the forefront of the minds of the authors.  Their lives were all about Jesus and growing in that relationship.  They gave up jobs.   They gave up positions of leadership.  It cost a lot of them their life, but nothing else mattered.

Since 1999 I have been working with students to help them grow in their faith.  Over the years I have found that weekend and week long trips are one of the best ways to help a group grow both personally and corporately.  The question I ask is why?  Why do we see more growth on these short trips together than any other time?

I believe that when you live in community with the same goal of growth and service to God you will grow.  That is what I saw a couple weeks ago in Rockaway.  You had a group of students and adults that were there to serve God and grow in their relationship with Jesus.  As a group we processed life and faith every night both individually and corporately.  It was amazing to see God show up.  It was amazing to see God break down barriers.  It was amazing to see God visibly change students.

Is this possible in the large church?  Do we have to be on a trip together as adults to grow personally and corporately?  I think it would help, but it is not practical.  I think what needs to happen is that we make sure we intentionally find people that we can grow together with and not be willing to keep the status-quo.  It is where you and this group are willing to ask tough questions and would be willing to pray for and walk with each other.  To me this sounds a lot like our community groups.

Community groups are our adult small groups.  It is where we meet either every or every-other week.  We pray together.  We study the word together and we talk life together.  It is where we get together to serve God and grow in our relationship with him.  If you are not in a community group make sure to make it a priority this fall.  If we are not living in community with other believers it will stunt our growth in Christ.  God has created us as relational people.  We need to seek out others to grow with.  We need to seek out and be in community.  We need to be in a community group.

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Basic Training

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by Stan Peterson

Ft. Benning, GA. Training grounds for the U.S. Army infantry. I attended basic, and 90% of all my training at this one post. Upon first coming onto the post you will undoubtedly run into Iron Mike. Iron Mike is a huge statue of a soldier, with a M-16 rifle in his left hand. He stands looking over his shoulder and with his right arm signaling advance to those who are behind. He is an icon and symbolizes the infantry motto “Follow Me”.

As I read the words of Jesus in Luke 9.23 “if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me”.

It brings me back to Basic Training for a moment, but more importantly it reminds me of the basic tenet of Christianity. The cross and Jesus’s words to “follow me” .

The desire of my heart is to follow hard after God! This means WAR!

We are in a battle daily! The lusts of the flesh and the world come hurling at us at 65,000 images taken in on an average day. This war is like no other war, it is one of spiritual nature and not of the physical. The enemies are different, the weapons I am used to are no longer effective, and the strategies are upside down. But OHHHHH how our God has given us Himself (Romans 8.9), His weapons that are mighty for pulling down strongholds (2 Corinthians 10.4), and His mind (1 Corinthians 2.16).

We see the strategy of God in Luke’ s writing, calling us back to the basics. The War can get complicated and we must simplify it.

Simplification comes by stripping down to a warfare mentality by Denying oneself (rights/ entitlements), taking up our cross (remembering Jesus’s death and our unification in that) and obeying Jesus by following Him. This is for our good and God’s glory. Thanks be to God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

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Losing Sight

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by Gordy McCoy

In studying the book of Acts with the other Elders, I read several things that are exciting and even scary to think about. One of the scary things is found in chapter 9: 1-18.

“Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lords’ followers. So he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of The Way he found there. He wanted to bring them, both men and women, back to Jerusalem in chains.”

“As he was approaching Damascus on this mission, a light from Heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”
“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting! Now get up into the next city, and you will be told what you must do.”

The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one. Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there, blind, for three days and he did not eat or drink.Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision calling, “Ananias”.“Yes, Lord”, he replied.The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you get there ask for a man from Tarsus, named Saul. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying hands on him so he can see again.”“But, Lord,” exclaimed, Ananias, I have heard many people talk about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! He is authorized by the leading priests to arrest everyone who calls upon your name.”But the Lord said, “Go, for Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. And I will show him how much he must suffer for My Names sake.”So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you might regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Instantly something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. Afterward he ate some food and regained his strength.

Could you imagine what it would be like to lose your sight? Sauls was taken from him for three days, three dark days. Think about the scales that fell from his eyes. What they were like, maybe like scales from a fish. Like larger scales from a big bass or many scales like those on a trout or a salmon. Only Saul knows the details. The scales blocked his vision. Scary!

I think one of the most important things in these verses was that God had specifically chosen Saul to be his chosen instrument. We are also His chosen instruments to share His message. It is not a suggestion. We have a job to do, just like Saul. Just like Ananias. The One that has given us sight, gives us insight, to His agenda to spread His Word. He wants us to get The Word out about how much He loves His beloved people.

He will do whatever it takes because He means business about His business. Saul learned that God meant business and Sauls’ life was forever changed. He learned to look at his life thru Gods eyes. I want that perspective.

Matthew 28: 19-20

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

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