When I was a kid, there was a detergent commercial that would often come on for a brand called ABC.  Two boys would spend the day running through mud and collecting grass stains, then at the end of the day, mom would wash the clothes… one in ABC and the other in a more expensive brand of detergent.  Having both boys standing on either side of her, dressed in the newly washed clothes, she would say, “I can’t see the difference.  Can you see the difference?  Why pay more?”

A pretty clear message: why spend your money for the same results?  Get the cheaper brand and pocket the difference.

If only life were that simple…

Can you tell the difference between truth and error?  Between a truth-teller and a false-prophet?

Almost 3,000 years ago, the bible records a fascinating interaction between the false prophet Hananiah and the true prophet Jeremiah (Jeremiah 28).

We are introduced to the bold character of Hananiah as he approaches Jeremiah in the temple in Jerusalem, right in the middle of all the people and the priests.  In his booming voice and grand theatrics, he utters:

“This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two years I will bring back to this place all the articles of the LORD’s house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon removed from here and took to Babylon.” (v 2-3)

This man was a preacher!  He had stage-presence and an air of certainty that was so persuasive.  In addition, he claimed to be speaking on behalf of God (dangerous territory to begin with), but he was only telling the people what he thought they wanted to hear.  A sure way to gain popularity.  While Jeremiah had told them to settle down, build homes and plant gardens because there was to be a 70 year captivity, this man reduced it to only 2 years with a convincing “Thus saith the Lord!”

Who are you going to believe?  The one who tells you the ‘good news’ and what you want to hear?

Well, even Jeremiah reluctantly joined the chorus saying, “Amen! May the LORD do so!” (v. 6).

But being the man he was, he went on to declare the Hananiah was misleading the people.  But Hananiah wasn’t about to let Jeremiah spoil the show:

Then the prophet Hananiah took the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it, and he said before all the people, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In the same way will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon off the neck of all the nations within two years.’ ” At this, the prophet Jeremiah went on his way.

Now, if you were in the crowd that day, who would appear more convincing?  Honestly?  Jeremiah was wearing a wooden-yolk on his shoulders to symbolize Israel’s bondage.  What a foolish looking man.  On the other side was the strapping Hananiah, brimming with confidence, eloquence and charisma, running circles around the more meek Jeremiah.  Could you imagine the gasp, followed by nodding heads that would have rippled through the crowd as Hananiah snapped the yoke over his knee and wood splintered into the air?

Jeremiah understood the tide had shifted away from truth to error and so decided to go his way, leaving the people in the hands of the false prophet.  After all, he was telling them precisely what they wanted to hear.  Who wants to hear:

• you are raising rebellious children with no discipline
• you are not being a good steward of the resources the Lord has entrusted to you
• you claim to be living for Christ but have yet to break off your sinful ways
• the relationship you are in is not what God would approve of
• you are on the path to destruction
• your god is money

In a nutshell, who really wants to hear the truth? Not the truth of great sweeping statements (for example, “God loves you”), but the truth that cuts to the quick and is direct and personal… that actually affects your daily life?  Not many, which is why most – if not all – the prophets were murdered. (Matthew 23:37).

The Egyptian magicians, Jannes and Jambres, opposed Moses by mimicking almost every miracle he performed, though by demonic powers.  How would Pharaoh and his court be able to tell the difference?

2,000 years ago, the Apostle Paul observed the Corinthian church’s decline due to their willingness to heed false preaching:

For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness.

You mean that even the Devil preaches the gospel?  Yes.  Of course, with a slant that is sure to mislead and ultimately destroy.  Remember, when he approached Jesus he quoted scripture!  Can you tell the difference?

Do you look for affirmation when you are doing or living wrong?

Do you find yourself more moved by emotionalism and stimulation (loud speaking, jokes, eloquence) than unapologetic truth telling?

Do you prefer to be told ‘smooth things’ in a soft tone than to hear the honest truth, though it may cut?

Do you prefer truth or religion?  Something to do on Sunday that quells your conscience or a life-altering experience with the risen Christ?

Do you even care to hear the truth?

I fear that in our day of information overload, very few people possess the knowledge to actually discern biblical truth from plain error.  Fewer still possess the desire and hunger to hear the truth if it will alter their lives too much.

I admire the men who stand and proclaim the word of God in the spirit of love, yet plainly, pleading with people to amend their ways and turn whole-heartedly to God.   When you fear men, you will seek to please men.  When you fear God above all, you will seek to please Him – even at the displeasure of your fellow men and all they can do and say about you.

Further to the post from yesterday, Fruitless Trees, I thought that an article posted today CNN captures some very interesting points about our religious landscape (though this article focuses on the USA).

Here’s the article:

How church shopping is polarizing the country

Is it possible that despite the “culture wars”, true faith and commitment to Christ is well, well in the background?

Are people who are looking to attend church looking for truth or a church that fits in with their values and style?

When you look out on the religious landscape today, particularly Christianity, what do you see?  Well, before you answer this question, consider another: immediately before the Lord Jesus’ coming on the scene 2,000 years ago, what was the religious climate in Israel?

It’s a difficult question to answer, especially as it pertains to our day.  Both questions depend on your viewpoint and a healthy dose of discernment, don’t they?

Jesus comes upon the nation of Israel during a time of burgeoning religion.  Arguably, the nation was never more religious than at the time He was heralded as the “Lamb of God” by John the Baptist.  On the surface, all was well.  There were Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Herodians, various cults, zealots, doctors of the law and every flavour in between.  People made every effort to attend the feast days, the sacrifices were kept, circumcision was in full effect, prayer and fasting were common, Sabbath keeping was observed to a tee.

But what did God see?  Amazingly, in all this, Jesus is described “like a root out of dry ground” (Isaiah 53:2).  Imagine a parched, empty, bleak desert landscape.  That’s what God saw…  and then, out of the earth a Green Shoot begins to sprout – the Lord Jesus.  We know, based on God’s word, that this little root would later become a towering tree on the barren landscape of humankind’s existence.  Sure, there are many counterfeits, but only one genuine article.

I wonder if anyone else saw things the same way at the time?  Religion was flourishing, but the gospel of Mark records that Jesus felt compassion for the masses because they “were like sheep without a shepherd”. (Mark 6:34).  Sounds like the days of Ezekiel (Ezek 34).  Yet, in the midst of all this there were still the Simeons, Annas, Josephs, Marys, shepherds and unrecorded names who were serving the Lord under the radar.

The more you read the Bible, it becomes apparent that what man sees is often contrary to what God sees and what, in fact, is reality.  It was the same in the days of all the prophets as well.  Read Isaiah 1 for starters: the people thought they were on solid ground with God, but they had long ago departed from His ways while retaining an outward shell of piety.  Likewise in Malachi 1.

Perhaps one of the most dire warnings, given in a vivid picture occurred when the Lord was passing through the Judean wilderness en-route to Jerusalem:

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.  Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered. – Matthew 21:18-19

Despite all the trappings of fruitfulness (lovely, luscious green leaves) there was no fruit (what the Lord was really after).  This was precisely the religious climate in the Lord’s day.

Now, back to our day…  I wonder how the Lord regards the Christian landscape, including the part I occupy?

In our haste, we proclaim a loud “YES!” to Jesus’ question: “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).  But this question was not meant to be answered, but rather deeply considered.  It was cautionary.

A church on every corner; Jesus preached on the television, radio and Internet; some churches claiming millions of adherents.  But what does God see?  That is the question.

The Pharisees had a smug self-assurance that they were on the right path.  In fact, that’s why they actually rejected their Messiah.  The Lord actually told them, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life…” (John 5:39).  But where was the fruit?  Non-existent.

When we used to live in Africe (Kenya), there was saying commonly spoken that in this region, “Christianity is a million miles wide but only an inch deep.”  There was some truth in that I think.  How much has the gospel, the life of Christ, transformed me and you personally?

Today it is socially acceptable to be a Christian (a nominal one) and people actually “inherit” their faith from their parents like they would a nationality.  The polls tell us that worldwide there are almost 2 billion Christians today.  But the transformation power of the gospel as recorded in Galatians 5:22 or 2 Peter 1; the cleaving faith of the saint to his God; true faith the renders worldly accomplishment a small thing; Jesus as Lord in your life and mine?  Not as common.

What does God see?  What do you see?

Well worth the 4 minutes:

Would you buy your son a stack of pornographic magazines? from Randy Alcorn on Vimeo.

Ever heard of Hell Week?  It’s the defining event for a Navy SEAL soldier, held early on in evaluation to help weed out those that are unfit for the job.  It last 5 1/2 days.  Almost an entire week of cold, wet, brutally difficult operational drills and fewer than four hours of sleep.  The SEAL instructors play mental tricks on them as well, in an attempt to break the resolve of the unresolved.

The point is to push the young man (no women allowed) beyond the point of physical strength to where they have to dig deep within themselves if they’re going to make it.  In short, it is a test of determination and desire.

On average, fewer than 25% of SEAL candidates make it through the week.

Imagine waking up at 3 am, climbing out from under your boat where you spent only an hour sleeping, to be walked down to the cold Pacific, where you lie down, armlocked with other candidates whose chattering teeth can almost be heard above the sound of the surf.   Seconds seem like hours.  That’s tough.

I remember watching a Youtube video (part of a series) of the training where one young man broke his leg, yet refused to quit.  He did ALL the drills the other soldiers performed, though much slower and through gritted teeth as he bore the pain, and completed the 5 1/2 days (after this he was treated medically and would rejoin another group upon his recovery).  What do you call that, if not determination, resolve and desire?

On the fourth day, this got my attention – a comment from an instructor:

“Somebody says why ‘Hell Week’?  Why not ‘Hell 3 days’, why not 7 days, why 5 days?  Well, when you get to this point, nobody’s going to quit.  They’ll stay here.  They’ll die if we let’em.”

Read that statement again.  What resolve!  What determination!  If it was “Hell Month” some of these men would rather die than end up quitting.

What are you resolved to be and do in your life?  What have you determined, by the grace of God?  Where do your desires ultimately lay?

Is there any passion in your life?  Any resolve and determination?

When we look at the Lord Jesus, this is what the author of Hebrews says:

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. – Hebrews 12:2-3

Isn’t that amazing?

The goal was shining so brightly before Him that He was able to wade through the deepest and darkest of waters in order to conquer.  In looking to Him, we are not to lose heart.

“But that’s the Lord!  He wasn’t just the average man or woman,” you might say.  And you’d be right.  But the preceding chapter (Hebrews 11) is spent cataloging the lives of men and women who ended their lives in faith despite setbacks, trials and seeming failure.  What’s a prostitute doing in this catalog (:31)?  Or Samson, the failed judge (:32)?

This chapter is full of people who may not have started well, but they did end well.  They endured, by the grace of God, and their faith and hope grew steadily, until it was almost tangible.  This faith and hope changed the course of their lives and even the course of history.  Some died as stalwarts of the faith while others died in obscurity.  But in all, v. 16 tells us that “God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.”

Guess what?  He has prepared a “city” (the hope of the coming Kingdom) for you as well.  Living for God in the present world requires resolve, commitment, determination and desire.  This is the doctrine of the early church and of Christ Himself.

Let us run the race and endure to the end.

The fickleness of man is amazing.  The slightest gust of wind can shift the public’s allegiance from hero to zero in seconds.

I’m not even a basketball fan anymore, but I couldn’t help reading a few articles this week that are chastising the King-of-the-Court, Lebron James.  Just two weeks ago he was awarded the NBA league MVP (most valuable player) due to outstanding performance for the 2009-2010 season.  Now he and his team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, are engaged in a tight series with Boston.  The series was tied 2-2 when the wheels fell off for Cleveland in Game 5 and they suffered a massive defeat.  He played badly apparently (didn’t see the game myself).  They’re now down 3 games to 2, facing elimination.

With a potentially last game on tonight, commentators and sports pundits are already decrying King James as an “underachiever“, that he doesn’t have the necessary killer instinct to win, that he’s not a leader… on and on.  But two weeks ago they were singing his praises.  All season long they couldn’t find enough superlatives and adjectives to laud his performance.

History teaches us that this happens time and again, not just in sports, but in all arenas of life.   I could care less if Lebron James’ team wins or loses; I’m more concerned with the lesson.

Those who play to the adulation of the masses will eventually be the subject of their scorn, derision and shallowness.  We are to serve One Master alone.

I think back to the time of Christ.  Before His final Passover, the Lord Jesus was treated to a triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, sitting on the back of a donkey as the crowds screaming “Hosanna!” (“Please Save” or “Save Now”) and waved palm branches.  He had tons of fans, but sadly, few disciples.   Whether or not there were some in this crowd who, a couple days later shouted “Crucify Him!” at the promptings of the Jewish leadership, we’ll never know.  But it wouldn’t be surprising.  In fact, it was highly likely (especially when you read how quickly the tide turned in John 6 and John 8).

People root for the winner and lambaste the loser at the first hint of trouble.  It’s called the ‘bandwagon effect’ where people do and believe things because many other people do and believe the same things.  They are not operating from conviction, loyalty or commitment.  So please don’t be fooled.

That same Passover celebration ended with the Lord Jesus being escorted out the back door of Jerusalem, up the hill to Calvary where He was crucified as a common criminal.  The winds had shifted almost overnight.

Of course, we know this was in accordance with God’s plan, but it highlights the important truth of man’s fickleness.  We know that in death Christ conquered sin, and quenched the power of the grave through His resurrection.  Still, there’s an interesting verse recorded in John 2 that reads like this:

Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man. – v. 23-24

What did He know about the nature of man?  That we are fickle and changeable.  That the heart of man shifts loyalties depending on the way the wind blows.  That man, at his core, holds little interest beyond self-preservation.  Therefore, He didn’t dance to the tune of the masses, but listened to and obeyed His Father.  God was His solid rock.

What a temptation it is to play along with the praise.

How many men have ridden along the crests of these waves only to be dashed upon the rocks at the last?

Let us take heed to serve God, and not fall victim to the whims, flattery and praise of men.  When we are lifted up for whatever reason by men, may we find sobriety in the fact that earthly praise is changeable and therefore, we should never rest on these laurels.

“Those who think they can change their own hearts, atone for their own sins, subdue the power of evil in their own souls or in the souls of others, who feel able to sustain themselves under affliction, God leaves to their own resources.  But when they feel and acknowledge their weakness, he communicates to them divine strength.”

To save yourself?  Mission impossible.

You stand a better chance of walking into the jungles of Africa, on the lookout for every mosquito you can find, armed only with a fly-swatter, in an attempt to end malaria once and for all.

You stand a better chance of standing on the seashore with a broom in hand, attempting to keep the waves from the beach.

The other day I was flipping through a National Geographic magazine and came across an image of Buddhist pilgrims traveling hundreds of miles along a dirt road in a remote region.  They were on their way to Llasa, the holy city.  Every 3 steps – yes 3 – they would prostrate themselves on the ground and get up again.

In some attempt to purify themselves, they went to lengths unimaginable.  When I looked at that, it broke my heart.  Trying to scrub the heart of sin; trying to make things right with God; trying to reconcile themselves and make themselves more more righteous… it’s impossible.  I’m so thankful He made the first move and is able to sustain through life’s journey.

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. – Romans 5:6-8

Everyone wants to know what those at the top of the pyramid did to achieve their success.  Even when men are dead, people will examine their lives to uncover the hidden treasures that helped them attain their goals.  And this is important as many fascinating facts and practices can be uncovered and applied.

Even from a spiritual standpoint, people often dive deep, trying to unravel the clues that led someone on to be especially close to God.

In business, the high-achieving gurus will write books or put on seminars.  In religion, a biography might be written and weekend how-to sessions put on.

One of the best biographies I ever read was that of Hudson Taylor, called “It Is Not Death to Die.”

Do you want to be the next multi-million dollar business?  Revive your marriage?  Get out of debt?  Develop a “powerful” church (however you define that)?  Rest assured there’s a book, blog or seminar right around the corner, chock full of tips that will get you there from start to finish.

Years ago, I remember seeing an article on the cover of a magazine with the headline: “Learn How to Raise Good, Obedient Children in 5 Minutes”.

Could it be?  Desperate to find the solution, I quickly flipped to the article only to read the first line that went something like, “Gotcha!  There’s no such thing as a quick fix when it comes to raising kids.”  After a brief chastising for looking for a quick fix, the author made some good points about the long haul of parenting, and how inglorious, yet rewarding it can be.

The truth is that despite following the practices of high-achievers and role models, there’s the element of their character that resides deep below the surface, where the light rarely shines.  The element that cannot be copied or “put on” despite our best efforts.

But what most people want to know are the “how-to’s”.  Give me 5 steps or 7 habits.  We live in a culture where we want our advice, seminars and direction in bite-sized chunks we can easily digest and put into action right away.  And don’t forget the entertainment!  If you’re a presenter make sure to insert a joke every 2 to 3 minutes in order to retain your audience’s attention.

This is the truth: the bulk of the iceberg (the character of an individual; where one gets their drive to continue against all odds) lies below the surface.  In fact, only 10% of the iceberg peaks its head above the water.  That’s what we see.  When it comes to advice, seminars and the like, it’s the 10% that is often sold to us.  Even we do the 10% we think we’ll succeed in whatever endeavour being pitched.

But the 90% – the unglamorous, hidden, developed-in-the-crucible, no fun, grunt work, fail-and-try-again, failed-yet-again, late-nights, tears, trials-and-tribulations – lies quietly below.  That’s the part that is rarely replicated.  That no one actually wants to replicate in their lives.  It might not even be possible to replicate as it involves motives and desires (for example, I highly doubt that me fasting for 40 days will generate the same anointing it did in our Lord).

We might all like the last chapter of Job where God rewards him double for all his losses.  But who wants to go through the losses?

Joseph spent 22 years separated from his family.  13 of those years were spent in a combination of slavery and a dank, inhospitable Egyptian prison.

Moses spent 40 years on the back-side of the desert herding sheep.  David, 14 years running for his life.

Our Lord spent 40 days in fasting and prayer.  The King of All was described as a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.”

We all love quoting the apostle Paul often as though we can speak from the same standpoint.  But here was the crucible in which his faith was made:

Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything. – 2 Corinthians 6:4-10

The intangible essence resides well below the surface.  It cannot be copied or mimicked; there are no quick fixes or 7 steps.  It is the essence that makes the man or woman.

So, read the books or attend the seminars.  There might be good stuff there to be sure.  What I would like to cultivate though is my character, develop within, draw closer to my Lord in the small things and have Him purge me from what keeps my heart from Him.  Books and seminars can help, no doubt, but there is a simplicity in living for God that I would not like to get away from.  I fear that the accumulation of knowledge, knowing “how-to” and the like can distract from the slow and steady character growth necessary for spiritual stability and a real, fruitful relationship with God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember, hundreds of years ago, men and women did not have all the resources we have at our disposal yet they were not in poverty, from a spiritual perspective.  I would never encourage not reading or further growing in knowledge, but it’s always good to acknowledge and embrace the fact that it is below the surface, and in the spirit, where the work is really done – and where the world (including the religious world) rarely focuses.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. - Psalm 51:6

This is what the LORD says:
“Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
or the strong man boast of his strength
or the rich man boast of his riches,

but let him who boasts boast about this:
that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
justice and righteousness on earth,
for in these I delight,”
declares the LORD. – Jeremiah 9:23-24

He is the source of all that is good.  He is the source of life, of peace, of power, of might, of glory.  Without Him, there is nothing.  In Him are true riches, wisdom and strength.