ARE WE FLOURISHING?

Psalms 92:12-15 “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God.  They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ‘The Lord is upright; he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.’”

Simple definition for the word ’flourish’ is: to grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, to develop rapidly and successfully. God wants us (His people) to flourish in the midst of a world that is filled with sin and decay. To flourish in this way will be a testimony to the world that what we have and what we believe in is real and that it works. Paul said: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” (2 Corinthians 4:13) He knew that what he believed in was real and so he spoke with confidence and authority.

In a blog by INSTITUTE FOR FAITH, WORK AND ECONOMICS a Christian think tank out of Washington DC – said the following about flourishing: “In the Old Testament, the concept of flourishing is best described by the Jewish word shalom. Biblical scholars note that shalom signifies a number of things, including salvation, wholeness, integrity, soundness, community, righteousness, justice, and well-being. Shalom denotes a right relationship with God, with others, and with God’s good creation. It is the way God intended things to be when He created the universe.

Most English Bibles translate shalom as “peace,” but it means much more than just an absence of conflict. The idea of flourishing (shalom) in the widest sense of the word is a significant theme in the Old Testament. When the Lord brings “shalom:”

• There is prosperity (Psalm 72:1-7).
• There is health (Isaiah 57:19).
• There is reconciliation (Genesis 26:29).
• There is contentment (Genesis 15:15, Psalm 4:8).
• When the shalom of the Lord is present, there are good relationships between the nations and peoples. God’s shalom has a social, as well as a personal, dimension (I Chronicles 12:17-18).

Shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight. It is the way things ought to be.

We might not know the fullness of this “shalom” until Christ comes, but to me kingdom thinking means that this is what we are to work towards where ever we might be that God places us: our work place, school, arts, government, media, business, etc. We work towards life’s shalom.

In order to flourish our lives must have meaning and purpose. When Christ gave us one of His last commands to go into all the world and teach all nations before His ascension, He gave us the means to flourish. I would dare say that our lives individually, or corporately with our church, will have no real flourishing unless we are working towards this goal. This does not mean that everyone must go, but all can be involved in giving and praying, but also involved in reaching those around us.

Part of this flourishing is being good stewards in fulfilling the cultural mandate God gave us. How are we doing? Are we maintaining God’s creation? Are we making the best of the talents, gifts, resources that God has given us? The blog that I mentioned above brings out some important truths that flourishing in a society will be seen in areas like life expectancy, infant mortality, at levels of poverty and corruption, with civil liberties and the environment.

Kingdom thinking will ponder or consider these things and will look around in the world to see what can and should be done. I am working with brothers now who want to see how we can create jobs; work is important. This is one of the best ways to alleviate poverty. There are some who are unable to work, but God ordained work and not living off the generosity of others or hand-outs from the government (tax-payers).

When Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, was teaching the churches through his letters, he shared how we need to take care of those in our families first. He used the example of widows. Paul said: “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.” (1 Timothy 5:3-5)

I am not saying that governments are not important in helping with relief, but only after other means (like family) have been exhausted. The problem that we have in Western Europe, and that we are closely following in the States, is in thinking that our government needs to take care of us from the cradle to the grave. But, that can last only so long because like Margaret Thatcher said: “We soon run out of other people’s money.”

Kingdom thinking will also see the importance of ‘giving.’ James and John bring this out in their admonition to us all. “Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” James 2:15-17

“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?” 1 John 3:17

God wants us to “flourish” in every way so that we can help others, both physically and spiritually, as well as enjoy our lives with our families.  Are you flourishing?

 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.