The Temple

Hearts trained in greed…some phrases you can’t get out of your head. Our men’s Bible Study is in 2 Peter and this phrase is used in chapter 2 verse 14 to describe false teachers. But there may not be a more apt phrase that would sum up and characterize American Chrisitianity’s biggest problem. Our hearts have been trained in greed.

Most statistics with regard to American consumption (as with many other statistics) would show very little difference between Christians and non-Christians. We are no different from anyone else in the USA when it comes to amassing stuff, consuming and throwing away massive amounts of…everything. Mostly we dismiss this sort of criticism of our lifestyle as irrelevant seeing that it is liberal political and social groups throwing the “criticism” our way. We uncritically join in the consumer mentality, not because it is a Biblical value, rather it is our preferred way of living.

Hearts trained in greed…

Let’s just look at our personal water usage compared to how much water is available to others around the world:

I took a 10 minute hot shower this morning. Let’s say I use 2 gallons per minute, I used 20 gallons of water to take a shower. Now I feel that a hot shower is a necessity, not an option nor a luxury. But in fact, it is a luxury and that luxury is not shared by many people in the world. But if my water heater goes out, replacing the water heater becomes the most important task in my day. Not having water mind you, having hot water.

(Fill out this questionairre by the US Geological Survey to figure your daily water consumption, mine was 59.36 gallons per day. That is personal usage, not what I use to water the lawn etc.)

1.1 billion people (18% of the world’s population) lack access to safe drinking water and almost 2 million children die each year due to a lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation.

Now maybe your answer to that is the pat American response: “I’ll just put my waste water in an envelope and send it to Africa.”…if it is you should be ashamed of yourself.

The phrase in 2 Peter is convicting. We have more, use more, waste more than any other nation in the world, and still have the gall to talk about suffering and complain about our circumstances. The reason we do this is that we have had our hearts trained in greed. The word greed is defined as “the state of desiring to have more than one’s due, greediness, insatiableness, avarice, covetousness” (BDAG Greek Lexicon). “Desiring to have more than one’s due…” Wow, if that doesn’t define us I don’t know what does. Maybe Christians should worry more about our own personal greed than other people’s sexual sins???  I would bet that proportionally sermons in our American churches mentioned homosexuality 1.000% more than they did greed this past Sunday when proportionately the reverse was more represented in the pews.

I am working on evaluating my addiction to greediness in just about every area of my life.

Enjoy.

from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod

Technorati Tags: Lord’s Prayer

At NCC we supply Scripture reading for the week in preparation for the weekly message on Sunday. Today’s reading:

The Olivet Discourse is Jesus’ last major conversation with his disciples. Often misunderstood and misplaced, we will look at Luke’s version of the discourse starting this Sunday. It is important to see the other gospel writers versions of the Olivet Discourse.

I don’t know how you prepare for worship on Sunday, but one of my habits I have decided to share with you is what I practice on Saturday. I am blessed with Russian genes, which means I default to pessimism. As a believer, that seems like an unacceptable place to stay, so I have worked hard at attitude. One of those attitudes is to look for things to be grateful for, so here is my list I am taking to church with me tomorrow so that I can worship God with a grateful heart.

• Monday: I am back to work after a month Sabbatical. It is so good to have a great job and wonderful co-workers.
• Tuesday: Dinner with my oldest sons (Tim and Levi)on the wharf in Santa Barbara, followed by a pleasant train ride home. Good conversation with my third son (Caleb) as he picked me up from the train station in Fullerton. It is good to have children who know Christ.
• Wednesday: Funeral for a friend. Zena was a woman who immigrated to the States with my parents; the resurrection is a true source of hope and comfort.
• Thursday: 16 mile bicycle ride…what a great day, I still have my health.
• Friday: Quiet evening at home. Borscht for Dinner. I forgot how nice that can be.
• Saturday: History day building project with my youngest son. Building in the garage, project accomplished.

I have so much to be grateful for…so do you. Take it to church with you tomorrow.

Technorati Tags: Blessings, Gratitude, Worship

I have heard it said many times in Christian contexts that God is not concerned about our happiness, that joy is what we shoot for and that happiness is superficial and circumstantial. Joy on the other hand is substantive and lasting. In many sermons I have heard the two ideas juxtaposed, treated as if they were mutually exclusive. I am convinced that many Christians believe that God wants us to be unhappy. This idea is similar to the thinking that says if medicine is going to work it has to taste bad. Both ideas are incorrect.

God wants you to be happy.

God also wants true happiness for you, and that is a happiness that has as its source the truth which leads to the fruit of joy. Now joy is the source of happiness. Happiness is the outward expression of joy. To divide or juxtapose happiness and joy is to miss the point. Our character needs to find expression in our action. To claim joy but not express happiness is not godly; it is a forced misery, an unholy suppression. We all want happiness – we are drawn to it, motivated by it, addicted to it. Everyone seeks happiness, and so we should. It could possibly be the highest expression of praise with regards to living and the God who gave us life. The Hebrews understood this connection. That is why when I watched the Chabad fund raiser on television the Hasidic Jews (very conservative law keepers) were dancing in their black suits and hats. Baptists on the other hand would never dance with joy before the Lord – it would be considered ….well, happy.

God wants you to be happy.

Listen to these verses:

• Psalm 16:11: You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. When Peter quotes this verse in the New Testament it goes this way: Acts 2:28 ‘YOU HAVE MADE KNOWN TO ME THE WAYS OF LIFE; YOU WILL MAKE ME FULL OF GLADNESS WITH YOUR PRESENCE.’

• Nehemiah 8:10: Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Did you notice that in Nehemiah the command is to eat and drink as a response to the joy of the Lord? Happiness as expressed in mundane, day to day activities flows out of a heart that is right with God and understands the will and purpose of God. A heart that is joyful (substantively happy) because of the knowledge that God has redeemed me from sin and bought me with a price, forgiven me, called me his son, and promised me life eternal, abundant and free. That kind of joyful heart eats and drinks in celebration of what already is. The heart without the joy of the Lord eats and drinks to attain happiness because there is no joy – a massive difference.

A person without the foundation of joy still seeks for happiness. The problem is that the substance of their happiness is found in temporary things, with a limited life span and a limited ability to satisfy. That is why we always need more and better things. That is why ultimately without God who is our strength (substance), happiness is fleeting. With an eternal source of joy, happiness is recharged all the time; rather happiness can be recharged all the time. We often choose to not be happy. True happiness is an expression of true joy. True happiness is natural growth from existing internal and real joy. Fleeting and surface happiness goes after the expressions of happiness (“eating and drinking”) as the substance versus the expression. It is like buying fruit from a stand when you can own a grove of trees.

Jesus talked about this in Matthew 6:25-34. He said to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” All these things are the things which make people happy: food, clothing, length of life, and the things of this life. They will only make us happy when we find our joy in the kingdom of God.

Here are some quotes about happiness:

“Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”

Abraham Lincoln

Two interesting observations in light of our conversation: true happiness comes from true joy; we have all we need if God is our source – so be happy.

God wants you to be happy.

Technorati Tags: Happiness, Joy