Restore the Balance!

When I was little, my brother and I used to go to the park at the end of our street and play on a device called a ‘teeter-totter’ It was great fun when we were about the same size and weight. But as he grew, the fun disappeared as things got all out of balance. Because he was bigger, he could take advantage of me, sometimes holding me up in the air, sometimes causing me to land hard on the ground. The result was painful and unpleasant. Being out of balance tends to do that.
We live in a world out of balance. Those with power and strength tend to take advantage of those who are weaker. Those with money victimize the poor. Those in power use their positions for their best advantage. While Jesus taught just the opposite—-to be a servant to all. Where are the servants? Where is the balance?
Jesus operated in perfect balance. He knew his purpose and He kept His focus on fulfilling that purpose. Some might say he was ‘purpose driven.’ I tend to think He was ‘balance driven.’ He understood the need for teamwork and co-operation. That teamwork began at the top and flowed downward. The Godhead worked in perfect balanced precision. Each had a key part to play in the redemption of mankind from the curse of sin. Without that balanced precision, the plan of God would have failed miserably.
Belshazzer was weighed in God’s balances and found wanting, lacking...not measuring up to God’s standards. His life was out of balance. He enjoyed his party life, until something happened that he could not control, could not explain and could not change. While giving a huge drinking party for thousands of his rich friends, he decided to ‘thumb his nose’ at God, asking his servants to bring the holy vessels of gold and silver which were sacred, to be used in the temple. His purpose was for all his guests, both men and women, to drink from them, and to praise gods of his own making, the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. When they began to abuse these holy vessels which were dedicated to the Lord God Jehovah, God’s hand appeared, writing on the banquet hall wall. Belshazzar had stepped over a line. Judgment was about to fall.
Just as King Belshazzar was warned of impending doom upon his kingdom, so today God continues to warn mankind that judgment is coming. All whose lives are out of balance will face the ‘handwriting of God’ as their ‘kingdom’ comes crashing down.

Balance in the church
America has often been compared to Babylon. Although it was a nation founded on Biblical principles, guided by godly men and the local church, it has gradually deteriorated into a nation that no longer reveres God, and instead tolerates compromise, taking what was once sacred, and using it for pleasure, lust, perversion and self-satisfaction. While 90% of Americans say they believe in God, only 47% act like they do, by regularly going to church, and less than that read their Bibles, pray daily, teaching their values to their children. I fault the church for failing to hold the standard high. While not all churches have failed, the majority of churches in America refuse to take a stand against sin, against laws that undermine faith and values, and at the same time fail to model for their people, the God who works in power and might. We need the hand of God writing on the walls of our churches as they party and entertain each other. The church has become a theatre and restaurant instead of a place of spiritual transformation and miracles. It needs to discover that God is still God, that He has power, that He is a jealous God, and that He has power to judge the sinner.
I do not like to see people suffer. However, suffering has a way of restoring values and focus. When the church of God discovers that God sees them, that He cares about them, that He is grieved by their sin, they must repent. Only repentance can change the judgment that is coming. A balanced church teaches a balanced Biblical doctrine, based on a solid foundation of proper Biblical interpretation. A balanced church will be a servant church….not just serving each other, but serving the Lord. Each member of a balanced church will desire to find their place of ministry and do it—no complaining, no excuses, no bargaining. Jesus is lifted high in a balanced church.

Balance in the family
How does the family unit today fail to measure up to God’s standards? For the most part, today, a family consists of a single parent with multiple siblings from multiple fathers. Premarital sexuality, divorce and co-habitation have destroyed what used to be a family in America. Children come home from school to empty homes and wait for their work-a-holic parents to arrive and toss some fast-food supper on the table. It’s both amusing and sad to watch families struggling with trying to be parents in shows like ‘Super Nanny’. Where is God and faith and gentleness motivated by love in these homes? Many had worked so hard to provide a glorious ‘house’ but have no clue how to make it a real ‘home’. They have forgotten how to have fun together. They are so busy being busy.
Belshazzar was raised in a home that had been a godly one. He knew the story well of how his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had spent 7 years out of his mind until he finally came to his senses and repented to God. But he ignored the warnings. He ‘did his own thing.’ Are you and your family doing your own thing? Or are you setting a godly example for your children and grandchildren? Does it include faithful church attendance. How you choose to spend your time sends a message to those little ones watching you. Your example speaks louder than your words, even if you shout. What do you value most? Take a look at your monthly expenses and see where you spend most of your excess funds—that’s what you value most! How many fail to give generously to God, yet give generously to themselves. The mark of a family that has healthy priorities is one that gives joyfully to God so His work can go forward—-giving time, giving talents, giving material goods, and giving finances. Jesus was a giver. He gave His all. Teach your family to give generously to the Lord.

Personal Balance
It’s one thing to point a finger at the church, and at the family...and another to point it at yourself. Yet everything you do for God begins with a one-on-one relationship with God. Without God in your life, you are already out of balance. As each person in the body of Christ maintains a balance, the whole will also be balanced. God is the balancing point in the ‘teeter-totter’ of life. We each struggle with keeping a balance between the things of the ‘flesh’ and the things of the ‘spirit’. Paul warned the church in Galatia… “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.” (NIV) Galatians 5:16,17 The spiritual is at war with the carnal sinful nature in man. But when we learn to identify the sinful, we can steer clear of it. He clearly identifies it: “It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive, loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion; paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on…..If you use your freedom this way, you will not inherit God's kingdom.” TMB Galatians 5:19-21 The Bible tells us not only what we need to avoid, but also what we need to be like. “But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” TNB (Galatians 5:22-23) When the Holy Spirit is in charge, guiding our daily walk, things are different. The Spirit filled, Spirit-led believer will be growing spiritually, will be spiritually discerning, and will be motivated to do the things that please the Lord. Too often today, Christians tend to tolerate sin in their lives. They loose their tempers, they lie, steal, cheat, and do it all because ‘everyone else is doing it.’ Too many Christians have chosen to live together without the commitment of marriage, have decided even if they did marry, that divorce was their choice to solve their marriage problems. When we fail to thrive spiritually, we fail to maintain a spiritual balance. Flesh dominates the spiritual. Choices become selfish. The world points its finger at the carnal Christian and says “You are no different that me.” We wonder why our friends and family do not want our ‘faith.’ It’s a flawed faith.
Let’s restore the balance—balance in the church, balance in our families and balance in our lives. We will meet many along the way whose lives are out of balance and who will need assistance in steadying their out of balance world. Let’s get back to the basics where balance begins...Jesus Christ!
J. Johnson

I Can't Hear You

I have been a Christian for 50 years. Yet never have I seen the attitudes I am seeing around me in the church world. It grieves my heart and it must also grieve the heart of God. I am talking about the “I’m right and you are wrong” attitude. It appears to be coloring every aspect of church life. It causes believers to be angry with each other, to leave the church and then go no where. I sometimes wonder how many folks are out there, who used to go to church every Sunday, joining their hearts in harmony to worship the God they love, but today finds them, at home, trusting the TV or radio to provide their spiritual nourishment. What’s the problem?
Eyes on Man
All too often the problems begin when we get our eyes off God and focus instead on man and his problems. We must ask ourselves when we find we are in the middle of strife in the church, “Why do I go to church?” Is it to listen to the preacher, to fellowship with my friends, to grow in my own ministry, to serve the Lord. Or is it to worship God? When we forget that the original plan of God was to gather the people together to worship Him, we often fall into patterns we call ‘worship’ but it often is not worship at all. While we are to be careful in what we adhere to in our doctrine, we must also be careful that we do not neglect the teachings of the Lord… And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul (Deuteronomy 10:12). For Jesus Himself told satan in the wilderness temptation… “Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10) When we cut ourselves off from corporate worship we invite all kinds of problems into our lives. Our focus at first seems to be self-preservation. We don’t want to be hurt or deal with people who continually seem to hurt us. So we remove ourselves from their fellowship. But all too soon, our wounded hearts rationalize that the risk is too great that we might experience more pain and so we go no where at all. As we focus on the problem man has caused in our lives, we are like turtles, pulling inside our shells to protect. But in fact we do more harm than good. We set a poor example for those who look to us for guidance. We fail to forgive, and we often live in continual pain because of it. Our children and grandchildren see that church and Christian fellowship is not important. We no longer have the encouragement of other believers to work together for the cause of Christ. Some fail to tithe. Others fail to serve. Some eventually turn away from God altogether...all because they got their eyes on the wrong things.
Ears to Hear
Too many today are getting caught up into cultic teachings. As the church becomes more and more passive in it’s approach to try to please everyone and not offend anyone, leadership often fails to declare the Word of God with boldness. People don’t know what they believe or why. When they pull away from the church they often turn to TV or radio and begin to listen to voices declaring their opinions instead of the Word of God. They lack spiritual discernment. I have met far too many in recent years who have slowly bought into such ministries as the “Shepherd’s Chapel” and Pastor Arnold Murray, and his non-biblical beliefs, which are based on the cultic “Serpent Seed Doctrine” which teaches that Eve had sexual intimacy with Satan to produce Cain, who began a ‘hybrid’ race of people who were cursed by God, called them Kenites, and are now the Jews, and dark skinned peoples of the world. This is pure racism and has absolutely no basis in proper Biblical interpretation!!! Yet folks watch his programs because he takes the Bible in hand and reads it verse by verse, explaining his ‘doctrine’ with the American flag behind him.
Another odd teacher some are heeding is Mr. Harold Camping on the Family Radio network. His voice comes across the airwaves via his 150 radio stations across the nation on this call-in talk show called “Open Forum.” Some find themselves buying into his odd doctrines which declared that Christ would return in 1994 but when that failed he re-evaluated and now has determine that the rapture will take place May 21st, 2011, and that the Lord will return on October 20th 2011. Some of his other non-biblical teachings include…. annihilation of the unsaved, the rejection of the total depravity of man in denial of Romans 3:12, no visible Return of Christ, no resurrection of the unsaved, no final judgment of the unsaved, no eternal hell, the Holy Spirit has already lifted from the church, God has abandoned his apostate church. Therefore he advocates that you no longer need to go to church—any church, just listen to his radio station and send your tithes to him, while you wait for 2011. One of his most ridiculous declarations is that no one in the world was saved between 1988 and 1994. We must remember the scriptures which teach us… (1 John 4:1 KJV) Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. We must be discerning in the body of Christ! We must know our Bibles. We must not neglect the teachings of Jesus Christ. One of the last things Jesus told his disciples is found in Matthew 28: 19-20 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” We are not to abandon the church, to stop making disciples, to stop baptizing the converts, because He, Jesus, is still with us, “even to the end of the age.” Time has not stopped and God is still with the church! The age of the church is not over! Just as we are to observe communion ‘’til He come”, so we must continually “occupy til he comes”. (Luke 19:13) We have work to do for God! There are lost souls who need to find the Savior. The Word of God teaches us “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3-4) And this culture today is abounding in fables. The more Biblically ignorant the world becomes, the more they become the victims of unscrupulous teachers of lies and fables. That is why Paul told young Timothy in the previous verse, “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine.” ( 2 Tim 4:2) It takes courage to take a stand in the face of blatant error. Sometimes it causes divisions, especially when loyalties are stretched. We need a new generation of pastors and teachers who will fearlessly proclaim the Word of God, who will not be afraid to reprove and rebuke in love, those who are falling into error. Boards need to stand firmly behind their pastors as they preach the Word. Just as a shepherd would leave the 99 and go in search of the one lost sheep who has wandered from the fold, so must we, as servants of the Lord, seek to bring back into the fold, those who have wandered into spiritual error.
What are you listening to with your ears? Are you just listening for ‘something new and novel?” Or, are you carefully listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit who promised to lead us into all truth? One of the often repeated phrases given to John in Revelations in the messages to the churches was…”He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches;” (Rev. 2:7) The Spirit filled believer must be listening, not to the voices around him, but to the Spirit, who will confirm the Truth and reveal the errors. The Holy Spirit is still at work in the church and is still speaking to believers. He is going to do that until Jesus returns for his Bride, the church. That is why we must also be cautious today when we listen to those who call themselves ‘prophets’. Some would try to manipulate for personal gain. Others try to make a name for themselves. Both are wrong. The Lord left us with the Holy Spirit so that all of us could now serve the Lord as prophets, priests and kings. But that does not mean we fall into imbalance, to use it for selfish purposes. We are to ‘try the spirits.’ We are to ‘preach the Word.’ We are to ‘teach all nations’ and bring them to the truth. Jesus set the example… “And Jesus, when he came out, saw much people, and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd: and he began to teach them many things.” (Mark 6:34) Parents, teach your children and grandchildren the Word of God. Take them faithfully to the house of God and teach them to worship and value the presence of God. Pastors, stand tall in your pulpit, and with holy boldness, declare the message God has placed on your heart without apologies. You are guarding your flock! Teachers, wherever you teach, use your gift to declare the truth! Be a student of the Word! Be aware of the dangers in our culture. Warn the innocent! Expect opposition! Be ready with an answer and let the Holy Spirit give you an answer when you have none. Be faithful! Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does. 1 Peter 5:8-11 (The Message Bible)
J. Johnson

Weary? Don't Quit!!

It’s a problem that plagues every believer at some time in their walk with God. Whether you stand in the pulpit or sit in the pew, we all sometimes feel overwhelmed by life and its circumstances. We wonder where we can go for a break, a time of R&R, just to step away from the chaos for a moment and take a deep breath. Weariness, exhaustion, and burnout all take their toll in the believers walk.
There are times that we do take on too much. At times like that, we need to step away from the forest to see the trees. In other words, we need to take the time to re-evaluate our priorities. Sometimes out of our own personal guilt, we refuse to say the little word, “no” and we end up doing things God never intended for us to do. When you find activities robbing your time with God, with your family, and with the calling God placed on your life, you have gone too far the wrong way. Taking on too much of the wrong things can make us a candidate for both physical and spiritual burnout. Exhausted though you may be, you need to take the courageous step of pulling away and getting alone with the Lord once again.
Jesus spent hours alone during his vital and demanding ministry. While others clamored for His attention, he went up into a mountain to pray. (Matthew 14:23) It is the ego, and pride that sometimes causes us to want and love the adulating crowd. It’s nice to be needed and wanted. But it is also exhausting. If you never take the time for a vacation, take one. If you love your pastor, make sure you encourage him to take a vacation and help with the added costs of doing so. Help to fill some of the roles he takes care of every week. If you can’t take a long vacation, take mini-vacations. Take two or three days away doing something different. Even taking time out of your normal routine to do something relaxing can help lift the weariness.

Let it go.
Sometimes weariness comes from holding on to things we should have let go. A story is told of a lecturer who challenged his class to guess how much the glass of water in his hand weighed. Guesses varied. Then the teacher told them…. " The absolute weight doesn’t matter. What matters is how long you hold it. If I hold the cup for a minute, I would be Ok. If I hold it for an hour, I will have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for one day, you will have to call an ambulance. The cup of water is the exact same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels and the more damage it can do to me." Are you feeling the weight of some burden today? Set it down at the Lord’s feet . Sometimes we carry our burdens of sin and guilt and regret. Yet God never intended that we do so. The longer we carry what we were never designed to carry, the more harm we do to ourselves. Let it go.

Press On
There are times when we need to stop and take a look around and then there are times when we need to press on. When you feel like throwing in the towel and quitting, don’t! The enemy of our soul loves to drag us to the point of weariness, until we feel like there is no other way out. Sometimes it takes a new determination to fulfill the call of God in our lives. Sometimes it takes a fresh vision from the Master to renew our purpose and calling. There is nothing like time spent with the Master to get it all back into a heavenly perspective. When God gives the vision, He always makes a way of fulfilling it. It’s part of His plan. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that the weight of His calling in our lives does not just depend on us. It depends on our dependence on Him. I will never forget how God set us aside during a time between churches we pastored. We were busy raising four children, and the demands of ministry had brought us to the place of weariness. We had no regular employment, mouths to feed and bills to pay including a car payment. We had tried to sell it, but God had other plans. He knew we would needed it to travel. One day we reminded God….”God, your car payment is due.”...giving God ownership of the burden. God came through, month after month. We never missed a payment.

Prevention Power
There are times when we look back at some the things God has allowed us to go through and we regret some of the decisions and choices we have made. We often choose in haste, failing to take the time to pray about it and get God’s input into the problem. A story is told of how a mother came home to find all her children in a circle in the living room. At first she was happy to see them all getting along so nicely. Then she noticed what had their attention, a family of baby skunks. In a mad panic, she screamed and told them all to leave the room immediately. They all complied taking a baby skunk with them. More screams followed as the now frightened skunks did what comes naturally in a moment of fear. Soon the whole house and each child was drenched in the unpleasant aroma, which took many days to eradicate. How we choose to react to circumstances can cause more of a problem than if we take the time to pray and think it all through calmly. When our emotions take the drivers seat, we have a fool at the wheel. Thoughtful prayer and careful responses can save us heartache and trouble. Often we are our own worst enemies. We do too many things without praying about it or thinking through the consequences . Some end up with unwanted debt, while others destroy old friendships. Ask yourself if this decision is pleasing to God. When God says “no” don’t make excuses and do things your own way anyhow. That’s rebellion.
When you feel like quitting, take a moment and look at the lives of some of the Bible characters who refused to give up in the face of trouble. Noah, though mocked by his neighbors, labored on for 120 years building the ark, saving his family. Joseph, rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and unjustly accused, chose to love his siblings, resulting in the preservation of a nation. David, anointed to be king, spent years running and hiding from Saul. By faith, he awaited God’s timing and fulfillment.
How can we prevent spiritual disaster? Burnout? Weariness? When we follow the example of Jesus, we will make it through. We may not escape all troubles. God allows troubles to strengthen us. But when we keep God’s priorities first, when we invite God to provide a solution, when we stop and listen for His voice, when we persist in prayer---that’s when God moves mountains and calms stormy seas. He is always there—in the deserts of our lives—waiting to provide living water for our thirsty souls. When you are tempted to take the ‘easy road’ that you know is not God’s plan, remember that the enemy would love to tempt you to do your own thing. I have learned to listen carefully to my Father. When He says rest—I rest. When He says move—I move. He knows my needs better than I do. My heavenly father always knows best!
Are you weary today? Feeling restless? Uncertain about tomorrow? He is your shepherd. Let Him lead you to green pastures and quiet waters where you will lack nothing and you can feed in His presence. When your enemies threaten—He is there! When you have need—He provides! When the task seems impossible—He is the God of the impossible!
Turn your back on evil, work for the good and don't quit. God loves this kind of thing, never turns away from his friends. Psalm 37:27 (The Message Bible)
Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality. Romans 12:11 (The Message Bible)
J. Johnson