BECOMING A HOPE ADDICT

Job 13:15 “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.”

Over these past 26 weekly letters we have been looking at Kingdom Thinking and considering what it means to think this way and how it should affect us in what we say and do.

I was having a conversation with a brother discussing things regarding our culture, society, politics, etc. that are affecting us. In the conversation we wondered what can we do to make an impact in our culture. The thought that seemed to permeate our thinking was: it is so overwhelming that it seems hopeless, judgment is coming and there is nothing we can do.

Upon further reflection several thoughts came to my mind.

First, I believe that judgment is coming. As a matter of fact I think judgment has already started and is beginning to spread. When God begins to chastise it does not come down all at once, but slowly – giving us the chance to repent and turn from our wicked ways. If we do not repent then more judgment comes upon us. I see this judgment coming through our western economic downturn as well as with the lack of good leadership. Today we have leaders who do not know what to do.

When these things begin to happen, we, God’s people, need to be prepared and ready to step in the gap with a helping hand. Often I have seen this scenario played out in other parts of the world. God is giving us a chance to see people’s hearts changed by the Gospel because through a crisis they are more open than before. Their foundation has been shaken. Often this has been the result of God’s judgment or chastisement and we, God’s people, need to be ready to take advantage of this for the Gospel’s sake. This is one way we will see a change in culture and society.

In my last weekly I wrote about power and influence. Joseph was ready with his influence when crisis, in the form of a famine, came to Egypt and the known world. Daniel was ready when Nebuchadnezzar sent out the order to kill all the wise men because they could not interpret his dream.

I also believe that God is right now preparing His people to be ready for the coming crisis and through their influence to see a great harvest of souls. We need the Abrahams who “against all hope….believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Romans 4:18-19

Another aspect in Kingdom Thinking that I have written about that we need to understand is that our work matters to God. Wherever God has placed us, that work matters to God. When we live out His kingdom principles of righteousness and justice in our home and work place this will have an impact. When we put into practice what Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33 to “seek first the kingdom of God” it will have an impact.

We have an illustration of this in 2 Kings chapter 5. The characters are Naaman, a great man in king Aram’s kingdom (Syria), and the captain of the army. Naaman had leprosy. Another character is a captured little Jewish slave girl who was a handmaiden to Naaman’s wife. Also in this scene there is Elisha, the prophet in Israel.

Here is this little slave girl. Her work was to be a handmaiden to Naaman’s wife – whatever that entailed. Did her work matter to God? I think so. She knew what she believed: the God of Israel is God and not the idols that Naaman and his people worship. She told her mistress about the prophet in Israel who could heal Naaman of his leprosy.

Naaman takes it to heart and goes to Israel with the blessing of his king who had written a letter to the king of Israel. The bottom line is that Naaman gets healed of his leprosy and his testimony is: “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” 2 Kings 5:15

Do you think that all this had an impact upon the king of Aram and his kingdom? I think so. What did God use? He used a little Jewish slave girl as she did her daily work. We never know what God might or might not do. We are to be faithful in that which God has given us to do.

We need to recognize that we all have a calling, but there are two phases to this calling. First, we are called ‘to be;’ that is, to be a believer in Christ and to become Christ-like. Then we are ‘to do;’ that is, to do what-ever He has given us to do. For this little slave girl it was to be a handmaiden to Naaman’s wife. Naaman was a prominent man in Aram and through the testimony of this little slave girl God was honored and lifted up.

The prophet Zechariah said: “For who has despised the day of small things?” Zechariah 4:10 NKJV

Yes, our work matters to God, no matter what it is, and it should matter to us as well.

POWER VERSUS INFLUENCE

Numbers 16:5-7 “Then he said to Korah and all his followers: “In the morning the Lord will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him.  You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the Lord. The man the Lord chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!”

In this incident we see a rebellion against Moses’ leadership. Korah, a Levite, was angry with Moses and a rebellion was formed that God put down by having the earth open and swallow Korah, his family and all of his followers. In this incident we see power being demonstrated through a miracle that took place. Too often we see this type of rebellion of frustrated ambition and petty jealousy in doing the will of God.

Moses’ reaction was to use power (by invoking a miracle) to put down the opposition and prove his own authenticity.

However, when Joshua came to Moses about some who were prophesying in the camp Moses’ response was different. He praised God by saying, “Might the Lord put His Spirit on all of the Lord’s people.”  

In protest against the command of God through Moses, Korah said that all of the Lord’s people are holy, but in the case of Medad, Moses said that his preference would be that all of God’s people be prophets. (Numbers 11:26: “However, two men, whose names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit also rested on them, and they prophesied in the camp.”)

What is the difference between the two statements? Jewish sages bring out an important truth that when Moses, by God’s choosing, takes Joshua to be leader in his place he brings him before Aaron and then two things take place. First, he lays his hands on Joshua and secondly he gives him some of his (Moses) splendor. Jewish sage brings out: “’Lay your hand on him’ – this is like lighting one light from another. ‘Give him some of your splendour’ – this is like pouring from one vessel to another.”

Jewish sage goes on to say: “There are two forms or dimensions of leadership. One is power, the other, influence. Often we confuse the two. After all, those who have power often have influence, and those who have influence have a certain kind of power. In fact, however, the two are quite different, even opposites.”

What is brought out here is that if you have total power and you share it with nine others you have one tenth of the power, but if you have influence and you share with nine others you do not have less, but even more. In other words, your influence has increased and spread.

When we look at Scripture we see men who had power – kings, etc. as well as men who had influence. Joseph had influence but Pharaoh had power. Daniel had influence but Nebuchadnezzar had power.

We also see the difference between kings and prophets. We see all that kings could do with their power, but prophets had no power, rather influence. I have been reading the prophets in the Old Testament who prophesied under the reign of so and so. The kings died and so did their power, but the prophets have a different legacy because their influence lives on.

We see this contrast with Jesus Himself. “Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,  but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:5-8

Johnny Cash, in his song called “HERE WAS A MAN” brings out the difference between power and influence. After he describes the earthly history of Christ and going to the cross he sings this:

“I think, I’m well within the mark when I say
That all of the armies that ever marched
All of the navies that ever sailed the seas
All of the legislative bodies that ever sat
And all of the kings that ever reigned
All of them put together have not affected
The life of man on this earth
So powerfully as that one solitary life.”

Here was a person of influence.

Keep in mind that when the person of power dies so does his power, but with influence this is different. Kingdom thinking will focus on seeing men/women raised up that will be great influencers wherever they are, be it in their jobs, professions, schools, governments and to the ends of the world.

Philippians 2:12-13 “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed — not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence — continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

It would seem that in kingdom thinking the working out of our salvation will result in seeing changes in our culture around us. Jesus said that a little leaven in the lump of dough will result in the leaven spreading throughout the dough. “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” Matthew 13:33

I would take that to mean that wherever we find God’s people doing what Philippians 2:12-13 is talking about that it will make a difference in the surroundings. It would stand to reason that if I am working out what the Lord has worked in me that this will affect the situation around me.

When I look at the deteriorating culture around us, another question comes to my mind on whether or not we as God’s people are really working out the salvation that we have in Christ? If so, then why is there no real change in our culture or society? If Christ has worked in us then why are we not working it out?

I do not believe that there is an easy answer to this, but I would like to put forth several thoughts. First, I think there is a real lack of discipleship within the church. When we look at the Master trainer Himself we see that He chose 12 men that could “be with Him.” This is the key: “to be with Him.”  More and more I have come to the conclusion that Christianity is not so much ‘taught’ as it is ‘caught.’

Discipleship is not sitting down in a class room discussion or a teaching session (not that it shouldn’t be done), but it is seeing the principles and doctrines of Christianity being lived out day by day. Mahatma Gandhi told Dr. Stanley Jones that if he could find one Christian living like Jesus lived he would become a Christian. If you went to his room you would find a stack of books and one of them would be the Bible. If you opened it to the Sermon on the Mount you would find almost every verse underlined. Evidently Christianity in India did not make an impact on him.

Where does discipleship begin? In our homes! Jesus said: “Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” Matthew 5:15

When it comes to discipleship we need to understand that we produce what we are. “A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.” (Luke 6:40) This alone should be a great incentive for each one of us to be continually working out our salvation, first in our homes, then in our jobs, schools, community, etc.

An article in “Urban Renewal” made the following statement: “I’ve become convinced that one of the primary reasons the evangelical church has become so enfeebled over the last twenty years or so is because sanctification is no longer being taught. Not just that believers need to overcome the power of sin, which is obvious enough, but how to actually do it!

“The data is incontrovertible: without marshaling the many demographic studies proving it, far too many believers today find themselves addicted to the very sins and anxieties plaguing the unsaved – like pornography, adultery, gambling, lying, cheating, chronic depression, bad marriages, divorce – and at levels that are no different. It’s no wonder that the church is so ineffectual and her witness so pathetic.”

Catherine Booth said: “When the church and the world can jog comfortably along together, you can be sure something is wrong. The world has not compromised – its spirit is exactly the same as it ever was. If Christians were equally as faithful to the Lord, separated from the world, and living so that their lives were a reproof to all ungodliness, the world would hate them as much as it ever did. It is the church that has compromised, not the world.”

There is much more that could be said about this, but another reason why we are not making an impact in our society is that we are not occupying the gates. The gates are where decisions are being made that affect the society, community, state, country that we live in. When I say this I am not talking about establishing a theocracy, but we will live by someone’s morals and if this is the case then why not the morality that has been laid down to us by God in His Word?

Yes, there will be many who will reject godly morals and go their own way, but this is no reason not to be in the market place living and proclaiming these morals because there will also be some who will see that what we are proclaiming and living is the reality.

Luke 19:13 “So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’”

Kingdom thinking will lead us to break the poverty mindsets over people and help them to create their own wealth. Yes, we want to feed the poor, but kingdom thinking will take us one step further in how we can create a business or prepare them to work in high-level jobs in order to feed themselves and become prosperous for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

In helping others to feed themselves through creating prospering businesses we can give them the ability to have a longer life-span, have less sickness as well as less suffering that poverty brings. By helping others help themselves we can also bring in the Gospel and see their spiritual lives altered and prospering as well.

Kingdom thinking leaders are able to use their influence to help transform people spiritually, financially and civically for kingdom purposes. We realize God is the One who gives the ability, but He often works through secondary means and, we, the Body of Christ, are the secondary means.

Kingdom thinking will cause people to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness according to Matthew 6:33. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

What are “these things” that will be added to us? Reading through the list we see that it is talking about our clothing (shelter), food, health as well as things concerning our future prosperity. In all of my travels in 100 different countries of the world I find that these are the basic things people worry about. So what is the answer? Put His Kingdom and His righteousness first, before all other things in life!

Secondly, kingdom thinking will get people who are seeking His kingdom to use what is available. We see this principle coming out in John 6 where Jesus asked Philip: “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” Jesus only did this to test Philip because He already knew what to do.

What was Philip’s response? “Eight months wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” (vs.7) This is the way Satan works. When God calls us to do something, Satan is always there to show us what we do not have in order to discourage us from doing the Lord’s will.  However, we read that there was another disciple who mentioned a boy with “five small barley loaves and two small fish,” but then he said, “how far will they go among so many?” (vs. 9) We read that in the hands of Jesus it was enough and He fed a multitude of people. Jesus used what was available, thanked His Father and had plenty for everyone.

I was trying to teach this principle to my oldest daughter when she wanted to go on a short term mission program to Morocco. She needed $1500 for the trip. I was asking her what she had available.  At first she thought she did not have anything, but I reminded her of her artistic talent. She is a great artist (must be from her mother’s side) and she had drawn a picture of the heads of a number of animals. In that art piece there was a space and I suggested she draw the face of an Australian Aborigine man, which she did.

I told her what we would do is make 100 T-shirts with that art piece and put a text ‘SAVE THE HUMANS’ on the top.  I reminded her that we are constantly talking about saving the animals, but what about saving the humans especially when it comes to the abortion of babies.  

I invested $500 and we made a 100 T-shirts and sold them for $20 each. Out of that we made $2000 and my initial investment was paid back and she had $1500 for her mission trip to Morocco. And she learned an important lesson to use what is available.

Kingdom thinking will help people to realize that they have available more than they think they have, and with God’s favor – it can meet the need, even feed a multitude.