Choose Life!

Karma.  You reap what you sow. What goes around comes around.  Moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips.

Consequences are an essential truth of the universe: EVERYONE reaps what they sow.  Nonbelievers who work hard and live honest, clean lives, are healthier financially, physically, emotionally, and in other ways.  They may have better families, more career success, and even better health.  By contrast, believers who live selfish, lazy, dishonest lives, who participate in the worst sins of the world will live shorter, sadder lives.  You reap what you sow. (A believer who is morbidly obese will probably NOT outlive an atheist who runs marathons, right?)  You reap what you sow—and God does not always miraculously step in and deliver us from the consequences of chronic, repeated actions. (Though I’m sure he steps in more than we know!)

But do you ever SOW consciously?  That is, do you THINK ABOUT IT? Do you think about your grades, or your habits, or your work, or what you eat, or your “sleep hygiene”?

“I have set before you life and prosperity, death and adversity….  I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. CHOOSE LIFE so that you and your descendants may live, love the Lord your God, obey Him, and remain faithful to him.  For He is your life and he will prolong your life….” Deuteronomy 30:15,19-20.

CHOOSE LIFE!  May we choose to live each day in a way that pleases God.  “The Lord will again delight in your prosperity, as He delighted in that of your fathers” 30:9.  God enjoys blessing his children. He DELIGHTS in it.  Make good choices.  Honor him so he can bless you and DELIGHT in your prosperity.

God, help us choose habits that please you, and choose to avoid things that do not.  Bless us, God—and may you bless us so much that YOU enjoy it!

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Choices.

Life is a series of choices, right? You have good options and bad options. God says:

“Today I have set before you both life and blessings, death and curses. For I am commanding you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commands, statutes, and ordinances, so that you may live and multiply, and the Lord your God may bless you.” Deuteronomy 30:15-16.

Obedience + worship = blessings and life.

Sin + idol worship = curses and death.

Choose wisely!

I think we are seeing a time of judgment right now. Let us get our hearts right and humbly seek God so He can bless us!

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Blessings During a Global Disaster.

Does God always reward obedience? Do good people suffer? Do bad people enjoy pleasures? Is life “fair”? No.

Remember, God is God. “He causes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5:45. We all get wet together. Some rains nurture, some rains destroy. And we suffer for corporate sin. What is “corporate sin,”—something about Exxon or Microsoft? No. “Corporate sin” means the sins of your community—the body of people around you. America is filled with immorality, and all Americans suffer for it. You and I suffer because of the corporate sin around us. As Isaiah said, “Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips” Isaiah 6:5. Like Isaiah, we are touched by the sin around us.

However, God is merciful. He sees your suffering. He knows your heart. If you are seeking Him and obeying Him, He can protect you during a global disaster.

“Now if you faithfully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all His commands I am giving you today, the Lord your God will put you far above all the nations of the earth. All these blessings will come and will overtake you, because you obey the Lord your God.

You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country,

Your descendants will be blessed, and your land’s produce [fruits and vegetables], and the offspring of your livestock [meat],

Your basket [grain] and your kneeding bowl [bread] will be blessed.

You will blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out….

Your enemies will march out against you from one direction, but flee from you in seven directions. The Lord will grant a blessing on your storehouses [banks] and on everything you do [work]…. You will be the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward.” Deuteronomy 28:1-13.

Ask God to make you and me faithful and obedient, and to protect us and bless us during this challenging time.

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Walk the Talk.

When Christian television came to Houston, there was one bit of Christian lingo I had not heard until I heard it shouted by TV preachers:

“I am the head and NOT the tail!”

Preachers would encourage audiences to claim it, believe it.  To personally put on that phrase like a winning golfer putting on a green jacket at the Masters.  We were encouraged to identify with it and accept it by faith: I am the head and not the tail.  On YouTube the clause is as popular as ever—there seems no end to the videos with this phrase in the title.  Everyone wants to be the head and not the tail.

But few discuss the context.  In Deuteronomy 28:13, Moses says that if the Israelites will obey God’s commands, He will make them the head and not the tail, that is, they will have authority rather than servitude, they will lead, not follow.  But there is more.  If Israel does NOT obey, they will be cursed and a foreign people will take over. 

“He will be the head and YOU will be the tail” Deuteronomy 28:44. 

In Deuteronomy chapter 28, God offers Israel a choice: obey and be blessed, or disobey and be cursed.  It has nothing to do with today’s ‘name-it, claim-it’ approach to prosperity.  The promise is not in the words.  Telling yourself you are the head will not make it so.  “Claiming” it or “manifesting” it will not bring God’s blessings.  Read the chapter!  It’s no mystery: if you OBEY God, He will bless you.

We should spend less time sprinkling Bible words over ourselves meaninglessly like some holy hair spray. Instead we should use our time to study the word and put it into practice.  If you want God’s blessings, obey God. Seek Him in all things. Live a life above reproach. Clean up your life, your lust, your language.  Give Him your addictions, your anger, your selfishness.  Read the word. Do what it says.  Then you will be the head and not the tail.

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Excessive Force.

We hear the phrase “excessive force” spoken by those who criticize police officers.  But the phrase could also be applied to parents, teachers, and coaches. Sometimes we do the same thing: we over-punish.

What is the danger when we over-punish? How does excessive force affect the child?  What impact does excessive force have on the children who are bystanders, whether siblings or fellow students? How does excessive force impact morale? 

Excessive punishment humiliates the guilty. It creates resentment toward school, adults, rules, and law enforcement. Excessive force can deeply upset bystanders as well. I became extremely angry with an incorrigible tenth grader during my first semester teaching. I was relentless, basically throwing him out of class.  And the ENTIRE CLASS treated me differently after that day!  No one ever suggested that I was wrong.  But the kids were sort of hurt for the bad kid, and shocked to see me that angry.  Consider the advice of Moses:

“If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court and the judges will hear the case…. If the guilty deserves to be flogged, the judge will make him lie down and be flogged in his presence with the number of lashes appropriate for his crime. He may be flogged with 40 lashes, but no more. Otherwise, IF HE IS FLOGGED WITH MORE THAN FORTY LASHES, YOUR BROTHER WILL BE DEGRADED IN YOUR SIGHT” Deuteronomy 25:1-3.

Strong, effective punishment is essential to any human operation.  But there is a risk: if you overdo it, you will humiliate the offender—and that will have lasting consequences for the leader who used excessive force.  Humiliating the offender (even if he previously humiliated you!) puts your leadership and credibility at risk. It also can create resentment in the offender, making a temporary problem permanent.

Leaders must be strong and decisive. But always look for grace, compassion, and ways to protect the offender’s dignity, even while subjecting him to significant punishment.

(Isn’t the Bible filled with practical wisdom?)

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How to Punish.

Having been a child, student, parent, and teacher, I have thought a lot about punishments.  Here’s one of the best rules I learned from a college psychology professor:

“Punishment should be swift, severe, and soon over.”

Children must be punished quickly if they are going to “learn their lesson.”  And only a severe punishment works: it should get their attention.  Finally, punishments should not drag on for weeks and weeks.  “Revolving grounding,” is a terrible thing to do to a child.

I learned another lesson while teaching high school students: a punishment can go too far.  I have never met a teacher who did not raise his or her voice at some time.  Fussing at the kids is unpleasant, but not unusual.  If you disagree, spend a few days outnumbered 30-to-1 as a substitute teacher. Furthermore, some children refuse to take teachers seriously until they see them angry.  Children are not delicate flowers that wilt under the heat of an angry glare or a cross word. 

Nevertheless, punishment can go too far.  Ancient Israel had no jails, and most crimes worthy of imprisonment today resulted in a flogging—but a whipping can go too far.

“He may be flogged with forty lashes, but no more.  Otherwise, if he is flogged with more lashes than these, your brother will be degraded in your sight” Deuteronomy 25:3.

A punishment should not be degrading.  Authorities—teachers, principals, parents—must punish without disrespect.  You must not humiliate or shame a child.  Even when you are angry, be careful what you say.  “Be angry, and yet do not sin” Ephesians 4:26.  Raise your voice if you must, but do not make it personal.  Punishment should not be revenge.  I remember angrily responding to a student once.  I raised my voice: “That was a really stupid thing to say!” I immediately clarified my words, “and I didn’t say you were stupid, but what you said was stupid.” 

Learn to punish without humiliation.  Respect the dignity of the guilty party, even when he respects no one.

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The Bible is Full of Practical, Every-day Wisdom.

College professors love theory. One favorite question is “How many angels could dance on the head of a pin?”  But when profs talk theory, students lose interest, answering “So what? What does that have to do with my life?” 

Some think the Bible is like that too: ALL THEORY, and that scripture is all deep truths about Creation, Sin, and Eternity and topics such as why we should believe in a pre-millennial, dispensationalist view of end times.

But in fact, the Bible is a practical HOW-TO Book.  There are instructions on: how to cook meat, fight battles, train children, run a business or a bank, and handle the sick, particularly those with dangerous, contagious diseases, and hundreds of other topics.  The Bible even explains how to handle your bathroom business (could there be anything more practical?):

“You must have a place outside the camp to go and relieve yourself. And you must have a spade in your equipment, so that when you relieve yourself you can dig a hole and cover it. For the Lord your God walks through your camp to protect you and deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy….” Deuteronomy 23:13.

When God gives Moses the plans for a tabernacle (the mobile temple), He addresses an equally practical concern: underwear.

“Make linen undergarments to cover the priests’ naked bodies. They must extend from the waist to the thighs. These must be worn by Aaron and his sons whenever they enter the tent of meeting or approach the altar to minister in the sanctuary area, so that they do not incur guilt and die” Exodus 28:42-43.

If I needed convincing, this verse would be enough for me: WEAR UNDERWEAR.  Wear underwear “so you don’t incur guilt and die.”  Ha ha.

But seriously, never be deceived into thinking the Bible is all theory and nothing practical. In contrast to many books in religion or philosophy, the Bible is FILLED with practical advice for EVERY AREA of life.  You just have to take the time to read it.

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Sex.

There is not much debate about the morality of adultery: most people are against it. Everyone understands that it is the most fundamental kind of betrayal: to sleep with a married person is to destroy a marriage and family and to risk tremendous damage and hurt to innocent children. But about pre-marital sex, the consensus is not strong. People say things like, “I wouldn’t buy a pair of shoes without trying them on,” as though the spiritual mysteries of love-making and God’s design for a family were no more meaningful than changing your shoes. This is because of the prevalence of atheism and evolution: when you look at life from a god-less perspective, it’s just sex. It means nothing. You’re no different than dogs in heat. But that is a GIGANTIC lie.

You were created by God, in God’s image! He has plans and purposes for you that are infinitely more meaningful than His plans for animals. YOU have meaning. Your LIFE has meaning. Your HEART has meaning. Your BODY has meaning. And there are spiritual dimensions involved that cannot be understood by the lost (I Cor.2:14). A marriage is a holy promise to God, and God takes that seriously, even when we do not. Marital intimacy is a picture of the relationship between Christ and His bride, the Church. It is a mystery, and you must respect it. Those who do not will suffer in so many ways: broken marriages, barrenness, rebellious children, and more. Pre-marital sex creates flashbacks in the one spouse, and insecurity in the other. It causes you to take your vows less seriously AFTER marriage because you never respected them BEFORE marriage. It carries diseases. There is the risk of pregnancy and the way that turns lives upside-down.

God’s law speaks seriously on the matter:

“[If a woman is found to be a non-virgin at her marriage, the elders] will bring the woman to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city will stone her to death. For she committed an outrage in Israel by being promiscuous in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from you.” Deuteronomy 22:21.

The Death Penalty? So, premarital sex was a CAPITAL OFFENSE? Wow.

And what about the children conceived out of wedlock? Is that serious? I think God takes it seriously, what do you think after reading the verse below?:

“No one of illegitimate birth may enter the Lord’s assembly [group worship]; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, may enter the Lord’s assembly.” Deut. 23:2

Illegitimate children are banished from the temple for ten generations! (Again, God not only takes your choices seriously, but He gives incredible regard to your family tree! Can you imagine that your failure could impact your descendants for ten generations? That’s at least 200 years!)

Of course, we love sinners, and we must be compassionate toward both the saved and the lost. Only God can judge. And we must have compassion for children born out of wedlock—it’s not their fault. But you can be compassionate with your brother while remaining loyal and obedient to God’s Word. Grace toward the sinner does not mean you join them in their sin.

You know what the best gift you will ever give your spouse is? Your virginity. That is not a gift to be wasted before marriage, whether you date for years or it’s just a casual hook-up. God has strong words for those who treat virginity with contempt. Although we may not understand this mystery, we must obey God and walk by faith. Extra-marital sex, whether before or after the wedding, is a serious matter. You MUST train yourself to see it the way your Creator sees it. It’s not about you and your pleasures. Life is about serving Him and staying in the center of His will.

Ask God to help you see this matter exactly the way He sees it. Ask Him to strengthen you to stand against the never-ending river of lies on this subject. Ask Him also to make your heart and your imagination as obedient and loyal as your physical body.

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Haunted Houses.

People love haunted houses, though we say there’s no such thing.  But not so fast.  While I would not suggest a house can be occupied by the souls of dead people, there IS Biblical support for the idea that locations are connected to the sins committed in them.  The ground remembers where innocent blood was spilled.

“What?” you ask, “Have you lost your mind?!”

No.  The Bible warns that when innocent blood is shed, it defiles the land.

“[The killer] must be put to death… you shall not defile the land, for BLOOD DEFILES THE LAND, and no atonement can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of the one who shed it” Numbers 35:33.

If a man is hung on a tree, he must be buried by nightfall “for anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse, and you must not DEFILE THE LAND…” Deuteronomy 21:23.  If you have a new house, put a railing around the roof (roofs were like balconies then) “so that you DON’T BRING BLOODGUILT ON YOUR HOUSE if someone falls from it” v.8.  (So even a death due to negligence can defile the land or the house.)

God told Cain that he knew Cain killed Abel, because “the voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground!” Genesis 4:10. Interestingly, God did NOT require the blood of Cain to restore the ground.  And clearly I would be going way out on a limb to suggest that all murders require the death penalty.  We live under a New Covenant. Jesus can restore our land.

Nevertheless, be aware that sin may be connected to locations—and consequences may likewise be connected to locations.  If you sin at work, you may suffer consequences at work. If you read your Bible at the office, you may reap GOOD things on the job.  It is something to think about.

Don’t “haunt” your house by filling it with sin!

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Not My Problem.

Heather was the warmest girl in law school. She was kind and generous and as sweet as pie.  She would do anything for anyone.  When a lawyer needed a bone marrow transplant, students were asked to give blood at a local firm in order to find a match. Heather refused our offer to carpool over there.  She was worried about finals–which were weeks away.

“But you might save a man’s life?”

“I’m sorry, I just don’t have time.”

“You don’t have time to save a man’s life?”

How often do you hear someone say, “Not my problem”?  Too often this is a curt way of telling someone that their concern is of no concern to you.

When drivers of armored vehicles deliver cash to banks, stores, and restaurants, one driver remains in the truck to guard the money while the other driver goes inside.  One time the guard waiting in the truck saw a robbery happening inside the bank and went inside to stop the crime.  The armored truck company fired him for leaving his post.  He could have said “not my problem,” but he chose to help and was terminated. 

A judge later required the company to re-hire him and to compensate him for his lost time.  Why? Because we want a legal system that encourages heroes.  We NEED people who are prepared to get involved—even when a situation is officially not their problem.  Big cities have a de-personalizing impact on everyone: with thousands everywhere, it is easy to assume someone else will step up.  But sometimes you may be that person.

The Law of Moses requires us to help—to get involved.

“If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, YOU MUST NOT IGNORE IT.  Make sure you return it to your brother….  Do the same for his donkey, his garment, or anything your brother has lost and you have found.  YOU MUST NOT IGNORE IT.  If you see your brother’s donkey or ox fallen down on the road, YOU MUST NOT IGNORE IT.  You must help him lift it up” Deuteronomy 22:1-4.

When you can safely help someone, do it!

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