FLACK FROM THE FLOCK

Congregations do weird things sometimes, just ask any pastor.   To that end, you’ve probably heard the statement made by many a shepherd at one point or another:  “Ministering would be so nice if it just wasn’t for the people.”

Over the years of attending houses of worship in more than one faith, I never recall being in one that actually “split over the color of the carpet”, but I have heard about such, and probably you have too.  Unfortunately, the psychology of mob mentality does exist, and when it rears its ugly head in a group of parishioners it can be disastrous to the Kingdom of God. 

The problem is that the good they think they’re trying to do by accomplishing the collective agenda will come back and bite them.  When they rebel against those that are in authority over them, they lose the protection that’s been afforded them in the first place. 

Sometimes, in His infinite wisdom, God will allow us to do foolish things, to be the schoolmaster that prevents further stupidity in the future—but sadly, that does not negate the painful lessons learned in the process.  When you do it God’s way, you have peace—when you think you know better than leadership, strife will be your reality.

In the 58^th Psalm, David asks God to thwart any success his enemies might otherwise enjoy.  He asks for their sustenance to be interrupted, their weapons to become useless, and for death to come upon them before the appointed time.  The psalmist intimates that the greatest treat lies with the once-oppressed that see God exact His vengeance on the former enemies of His children.

Vindication, with its own structure, can bring the greatest peace of all, because it tells the vindicated that the effort—in spite of the bruising—was worth it. 

b(Les)sings

Psalm 58

King James Version (KJV)

 ¹Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
 ²Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth.
 ³The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies.
 ⁴Their poison is like the poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear;
 ⁵Which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charming never so wisely.
 ⁶Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth: break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD.
 ⁷Let them melt away as waters which run continually: when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.
 ⁸As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away: like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.
 ⁹Before your pots can feel the thorns, he shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in his wrath.
 ¹⁰The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked.
 ¹¹So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth.

THE DICTATOR NAMED ME

Do you ever feel like your prayers are not getting beyond your cathedral ceiling?  When you do feel that way, it can be because you’re not getting the answer you want to the request you’ve made.  There is a difference between, “God didn’t answer my prayer” and “God didn’t answer my prayer the way I demanded.”  Let me explain.

When we came back to Illinois from New Hampshire, once plentiful jobs were obsolete, and my lack of employment was not for lack of effort.  Finally, I got the second interview callback and things looked absolutely stupendous—I was going to start in a couple of days.  When I read the job description I told the Lord that’s the one I wanted—it was the “perfect” job for me.  After the second interview I was careful to thank Him and give Him praise—only something was wrong—they weren’t calling me back like they promised, nor were they responding to my requests for return calls.  Finally, I went back there in person and they simply told me, “We hired someone else.”

I was furious.

I was mad with them and I was especially mad at God.  Their being ignorant was one thing, but God was without excuse.  After attending my Saturday morning men’s prayer meeting the next day, my wife and I got into the car to go the local supermarket.  We had no sooner entered the store when I heard that blood-chilling, “Les?”  It was my stalker from three years ago—and had I gotten the job I wanted, he would have been working for me!  To say that I felt about as tall as worm dung in the presence of God would be an understatement.  The sovereignty, omniscience, and love of God prevented me from the disaster that would have been, had my prayer been answered the way I wanted it to be answered.  I was able to thank God for the peace I kept as a result of His saying, “No.” 

Help from your (Heavenly) Father is one thing—trying to help your earthly father can be quite another.

When I was four, I used to “assist” my dad in cutting the grass.  He had one of those turquoise blue Sunbeam electric mowers with the really cool start-up sound.  I had a plastic model that I pushed along behind him.  Of course I wasn’t doing a thing to help my father (except possibly keep him company), but I really did think I was.  Truth be told he was worried I might distract him and that consequently he’d run over the cord and electrocute himself like he had heard others had done. 

We’re all a little bit like four year-old Les.  We tell God what the problem is and what He needs to do to fix it.  We know we can improve our “chances” by helping Him along, but all we really do in the process is get in His way. 

Ironically, we have peace when we just let God be God without requiring Him to either get our permission or opinion before He acts.  Though our intentions may be right, if we demand how God can best do his job , rather than allowing Him to do it His way, He may just give us our request, and then have to listen to us complain about His having granted it—poor God.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 10

A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil

 ¹ Why do You stand afar off, O LORD?
         Why do You hide in times of trouble?
 ² The wicked in his pride persecutes the poor;
         Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.
     
 ³ For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
         He blesses the greedy and renounces the LORD.
 ⁴ The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
         God is in none of his thoughts.
     
 ⁵ His ways are always prospering;
         Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
         As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
 ⁶ He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
         I shall never be in adversity.”
 ⁷ His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
         Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.
     
 ⁸ He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
         In the secret places he murders the innocent;
         His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
 ⁹ He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
         He lies in wait to catch the poor;
         He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
 ¹⁰ So he crouches, he lies low,
         That the helpless may fall by his strength.
 ¹¹ He has said in his heart,
         “God has forgotten;
         He hides His face;
         He will never see.”
     
 ¹² Arise, O LORD!
         O God, lift up Your hand!
         Do not forget the humble.
 ¹³ Why do the wicked renounce God?
         He has said in his heart,
         “You will not require an account.”
     
 ¹⁴ But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
         To repay it by Your hand.
         The helpless commits himself to You;
         You are the helper of the fatherless.
 ¹⁵ Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
         Seek out his wickedness until You find none.
     
 ¹⁶ The LORD is King forever and ever;
         The nations have perished out of His land.
 ¹⁷ LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble;
         You will prepare their heart;
         You will cause Your ear to hear,
 ¹⁸ To do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
         That the man of the earth may oppress no more--NKJV

ALL THE RAGE

Egypt.  Libya.  Syria.  Just to name a few.  The citizenry of nations rise up against those in authority over them.  Rightly or wrongly, this stresses those not involved in the unrest.    Why?  Because we cannot fix their issues.  We cannot bandage the wounds we don’t want them to have gotten in the first place.  We relate to them collectively as an oppressed underdog—also rightly or wrongly.

In a similar way, the ungodly of the world war against God.  And, whereas man or his governments may fall from time to time, the government of God stands forever.  Earthly rulers cringe at the thought of their potential overthrow, while God laughs at the impossibility of that happening to Him.

If you’re not a spiritual insurrectionist you are safe from the wrath He reserves for such.  If you walk with Him, you already know the blessings that brings.  If you don’t—if you’re one of those that makes Him laugh—you can still trust in Him, and enjoy an abundance of peace.

b(Les)sings

Psalm 2

 ¹ Why do the nations rage,
         And the people plot a vain thing?
 ² The kings of the earth set themselves,
         And the rulers take counsel together,
         Against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,
 ³ “Let us break Their bonds in pieces
         And cast away Their cords from us.”
     
 ⁴ He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
         The Lord shall hold them in derision.
 ⁵ Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
         And distress them in His deep displeasure:
 ⁶ “Yet I have set My King
         On My holy hill of Zion.”
     
 ⁷ “I will declare the decree:
         The LORD has said to Me,
         ‘You are My Son,
         Today I have begotten You.
 ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You
         The nations for Your inheritance,
         And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
 ⁹ You shall break^[a] them with a rod of iron;
         You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”
     
 ¹⁰ Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
         Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
 ¹¹ Serve the LORD with fear,
         And rejoice with trembling.
 ¹² Kiss the Son,^[b] lest He^[c] be angry,
         And you perish in the way,
         When His wrath is kindled but a little.
         Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him--KJV

Isaiah 9: [6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace--KJV