Crazy? I Think Not!

One definition of the word “institutionalize” is: “to place or confine in an institution.” And one of the meanings of “institution is, “a place characterized by drabness, uniformity, and impersonality.” We say of certain people that they have been institutionalized. I believe this could also be said of a vast amount of Christians in our day.

But it seems to me that more and more of God’s people are breaking out of their little cubicles and observing everything from “outside the box.” They refuse to have a monastic mindset. It is no longer a “me, my, and I” they hold to. They have found there is more to it than my family, my church, my school, my ministry, etc. “Jack” has jumped out of his box and is finding out how the rest live.

Beware of any institution that tries to institutionalize you. You can always spot them. They will tell you only those who look out through their institution’s bars are sane. And all those who are free and at liberty on the outside are crazy. It’s this sort who said of Jesus that He was “beside himself,” and of one of his devoted followers that he was “mad.” As for me, I’d rather be on the outside looking in, if you don’t mind. Let them say and think what they will.

Inside-out, If You Please!

"A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose"

The title of our article is a famous quotation by author, Gertrude Stein, generally taken to mean, "Things are what they are." It is what is called, "the law of identity." By changing the name doesn't change the person or thing. It only confuses matters. And it can be dangerous. Try changing the hot and cold faucet handles on your shower to find out.  

We have gutted and drained powerful words until they are now anemic. Convicting words such as drunkard is now termed an alcoholic; a bastard to one born out of wedlock; drug addict to substance abuser; whore to street walker. These along with a legion of other weak substitute phrases are geared to soften sin and make it respectable for both the perpetrator and their loved ones. It saves embarrassment before others. And this is important in this superficial, shallow age in which we live.

But to the man after God's heart no such high sounding substitute was used. When this man of high position sinned, he cared not what others thought. He didn't water-down sin; sin was still exceedingly sinful! "Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight," was his heartfelt cry to God. The Blood of Christ cleanses sin, not excuses. Whitewash only takes care of the external. Plus, whatever one is attempting to cover will begin to show through again, at some point.    

My oldest son, Andrew, a preacher, speaking of sin and the modern day psychologists' approach to it, said, "It takes a lot of money to get right with God today." Thank God, the Great Physician is free!" Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye...without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money...and your labour for that which satisfieth not?"

David on Prayer

"I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."

God hearing and answering David's prayer is by no means the main reason he loved the Lord, but most certainly is at the top of the list among the many other reasons. Someone might say, "But the text doesn't say God answered his prayer, only that He heard it." By checking the context (v.8), we see He did answer him. But had we no mention of an answer, common sense tells us He did. Otherwise,how would he have known God heard him? The prophets prayed all day for Baal to hear and answer them, but there was no answer. Elijah prayed a short prayer and God heard, and proved that He did by answering him.

John tells us, "We love Him because  He first loved us."  And how did He love us? "God so loved...He gave!" And why do we love Him? Because He gave. The principle is the same in David's case and throughout the Bible. When the Lover of our souls gives to His beloved simply because she asks, her love deepens. There is a glowing and growing love in the soul of a child when he or she realizes their father both heard and answered their request.

Jesus said, concerning prayer, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son." Is it not proper then to ask a granting of our prayers that God may be glorified? And, as David, is it not also fitting to ask God to give us our petitions that we may love Him even more? What David said in our text would not sound too spiritual to the "spiritual elite" of our day, but God knew David's heart. And He knows yours and mine dear friend.  

A Child-Like Spirit

"And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

One can be childlike without being childish. In dramatic school they taught us to have the head of an adult and the heart of a child. Jesus told these grown men they were to be childlike. And our Lord never asked anyone to be something He was not Himself. We hear much today about being Christlike. The list of characteristics seems to be endless, which has brought about discouragement in many trying to achieve and keep up with this, may I say, grocery-list of things. Simply put, Christ-likeness is child-likeness. And He kept His child-like spirit to the grave.

1. Any and all spiritually gifted and greatly used men and women of God have been marked by a child-like spirit. For example, Solomon. Not only did God grant his request for wisdom but threw in the kitchen sink, so to speak. Why? Listen to him, "And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in." It seems God doesn't deny the likes of him, their desire.

2. Jesus referred to those following Him as "My little children." John picks up on this term, using it no less than nine times in his first epistle, when speaking of God's elect. Paul also uses the the same phrase. We are told in our text God's Kingdom is made up of such. 

3. I have observed that little children are humble, trusting, forgiving, simple, and loving. But the characteristic that is sweetest, I think, is their spirit of wonder. Everyday there seems to something new and fresh about life. And so it should be with us "little children." The evangelist, Gypsy Smith, was asked when he was eighty the secret of his radiant Christian life. He answered, "I guess it is because I have never lost the wonder of it all." Have you, my friend? 

They Can't See the Forest For the Tree

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it."

I cannot vouch for its authenticity, but I read there are over twenty-three thousand different kinds of trees in the world. Among them, fruit trees numbering into the thousands; the apple tree alone is said to have some seventy-five hundred varieties. The Bible records the names of no fewer than twenty-seven of this vast number of fruit trees in the world. The possibility of a great number of trees being in the garden is far from being speculative. 

1. Interestingly, our first parents centered all their attention on the one tree that was forbidden rather than all those they had free access to. You could say, "They couldn't see the forest for the 'tree.'" God has an affinity for trees, He chose to die on one (1 Peter 2:24).

2. Legion, I've found, is the number who major on the few things God has restricted while losing sight of all the wonderful things freely given them. Things for their good and not for their hurt, as those in the off-limits area would do. Bypassing our fleshly desire for that one thing we want shows our love to Him. And in partaking of the many good things He has provided us, shows His love to us!

3. Years ago, when my daughter, Charity, was five, I taught her a lesson on tithing. I divided one-hundred pennies into two groups of ninety and ten, then said "Chip, that is God's tithe, it belongs to Him, the rest is yours." Grabbing up the ten pennies, she replied, "O, Daddy, you mean the Lord will let me have all of this?" When I told her it was just the opposite, that the ninety was all hers, and the ten was God's, she said, "That's all He wants?" She was amazed! 

And after all these many long years, so am I my friend. 

Twelve Gates/One Way

We are told the celestial city to which God's children are traveling is foursquare, having three gates on each side. No matter which of the twelve gates one enters, all end up in the presence of the King and before His Throne. While it is not true all roads lead to that heavenly city and most by-pass it, still, these twelve entrances are legitimate. 

Notice two of these gates some would have closed if they had their way. 

1. That way by which little children come to Christ. They argue that you must be certain of the place, day, and hour, and little ones don't remember this, they say. Dr. Bob Jones said, "You don't have to know the day and hour, just make sure there was one." Paul could tell you the exact time and place of this great event in his life, but not so with godly Timothy. We're told he was taught the way of salvation from childhood by his granny and mother. People such as this have a difficult time with exactness as to their salvation; nevertheless, their lives prove there was a time and a place. Many who can give you the particulars of their conversion have not lived for God a day since. My dear friend, Evangelist John Rice, who was saved as a child, said, "I was there when I was born, but I don't remember anything about it. But I know it happened, for I have life." I say, children are as soundly converted as any reprobate who was ever saved!

2. The quiet conversion. I know of some, even preachers, who would board-up this gate. They believe you must have credentials of  an earthshaking experience, like that of the Philippian jailer, to prove you are one of God's elect. But Lydia, whose heart the Lord opened, had no such dramatic testimony. It will do us well to remember we are not to seek others' experiences recorded in the Bible, but the Bibles teachings! The "still small voice" wins out over the sensational earthquake every time. I have found, and sadly experienced in my own life, those saved under spectacular preaching are in danger of thinking their daily Christian life will be that way. Whereas common conversions do not seem to have the problems that arrive with the mundane things of life. They make for good pluggers-along, as I like to refer to them.

Whatever gate we entered by let us not forget the other gates are just as bona fide. And never, never, forget, "And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God."

Wherin Lies Addiction?

“…they have addicted themselves.” Some of the descriptive words the dictionary associates with addiction are these: abuse, habit, attachment, abandoned, wedded, devoted, obsessed, fixation. Addiction can be either in a bad or good sense. In the text sighted, it is the latter. This present generation has come to think of the word as relating primarily to drugs and drink. But it can cover a wide variety of things. It can include everything from food to sports, and all in between. But in this article, I want to speak about the negative aspect of addiction.

The popular teaching of today is that addiction has to do with the genes. As everything else in this sin-sick age, the fault is always traced back to someone or something else; it couldn’t be a personal responsibility! But if you’ll notice in our scripture quotation above, addiction has to do with the individual themselves. On either side of the word “addicted” are the personal pronouns, “they” and “themselves.” Addiction then lies at the door of the addict himself or herself. One need not go to your family home, or to friends, in order to find who’s at fault.

The Bible teaching is that “Self” is at the root of all evil addiction. And until this entity is dealt with, one will always be “hooked.” Jesus said we are to “deny self.” That is, any rights or claims upon our lives. As long as you are the center of your existence and everything revolves around you, there can be no deliverance. When the focus is upon Jesus, He "immediately "lifts up the sinking soul. Ask Simon Peter.

Old-fashioned “Repentance” will do more for a person in a day, than all the rehabs can in a year!