IF… THEN…

If-then statements are common. Parents use these statements frequently with their children. Employers utilize them with their employees. Teachers speak them to their students.

If-then statements are a conditional contract. One party lays out a challenge: If you [a person or party of people] do such and such to my satisfaction, then I will reward you in the following specific way.

The Bible is full of If-then statements!

I just ran across one in the opening verses of Deuteronomy 28.

If you [Israel is poised to enter and conquer the Promised Land] listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all His commandments that I command you today, [then – implied] GOD, your God will place you on high, above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of GOD, your God:

GOD”s blessing inside the city,

GOD’s blessing in the country;

GOD’s blessing on your children,

          the crops of your land,

          the young of your livestock

          the calves of your herds,

the lambs of your flocks.

GOD’s blessing on your basket and bread bowl;

GOD’s blessing in your coming in,

GOD’s blessing in your going out.

 

GOD will defeat your enemies who attack you. They’ll come at you on one road and run away on seven roads.

GOD will order a blessing on your barns and workplaces; He’ll bless you in the land that GOD, your God, is giving you.

GOD will form you as a people holy to Him, just as He promised you, if you keep the commandments of GOD, your God, and live the way He has shown you.  [Deuteronomy 28:1-9  TM]

Do you need to read that again?

Notice that the If… part is very short and the Then… part is very long!

God is making a VERY GENEROUS offer to His chosen people!  All they have to do is:

1.   …listen obediently to the Voice of GOD, your God, and

2.   heartily obey all His commandments.

In case you haven’t read through the Old Testament and don’t know the end of the story, let me fill you in. 🙂

The Israelites falter on their commitment very quickly as they enter the Promised Land around 1405 BC. God is VERY PATIENT and long-suffering with them, giving them chance-after-chance to come in line with His desires for them. 

BUT, finally, God’s remarkable patience is exhausted. In 586 BC, the Temple is destroyed and the people are carried off into captivity for seventy years by the Babylonians!

Sorry! It’s not a happy ending! God gave them 819 years to get it together, but they never did for any sustainable period of time!

 

Even though many who read this blog are Gentiles, we have inherited the same offer from God!

Let’s look at just a few of the ‘If-then’ statements in our New Testaments:

If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, [then] I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. – Revelation 3:20

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, [then] you will be saved. – Romans 10:9

If the Son sets you free, [then] you will be free indeed.

– John 8:36

If we confess our sins, [then] He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:9

If anyone would come after Me, [then] he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. – Luke 9:23

If anyone is in Christ, [then] he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! – 2 Corinthians 5:17

If you do not forgive others their sins, [then] your Father will not forgive your sins. – Matthew 6:15

If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and [then] you will have treasure in heaven. – Matthew 19:21

 If I go and prepare a place for you, [then] I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am. – John 14:3

If you’re anything like me, then you probably realize – after reading these verses – that you’re just about as rebellious as the Israelites were!

Now, gaining Heaven [our Promised Land] should be all the incentive we need, but if you need more, let’s review our initial verses.

If you listen obediently to the Voice of God, your God, and heartily obey all His commandments that I command you today, [then – implied] GOD, your God will place you on high, above all the nations of the world. All these blessings will come down on you and spread out beyond you because you have responded to the Voice of GOD, your God:

 

This implies that if we heartily pursue a life that is pleasing to God, then those around us or who are connected to us will also be blessed!

 

 

Don’t you want this for your spouse, children, relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers and perhaps even the people you encounter throughout the course of any given day???

 

A CLOSING STORY

I was leading my first ‘full-time’ church in Harrison City, PA. I had just studied theology for three years at a noted seminary in Kentucky. Our first-born, Travis, was less than a year old. I was 23, and the average attendance on Sundays was around 40 people – mostly older in age.

I was trying hard to do everything that I had been taught: planning, preaching, visiting, praying, and so much more.

One day, I visited a man who had been connected to the church previously but had not attended recently. I had been informed that he was in the hospital and might appreciate a visit.

Although I don’t remember his name or other details, I learned something of significance by my repeated visits to talk with him.

I did not find him to be a friendly man; he seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. But, I persisted in visiting him. We talked. I shared some scripture. He allowed me to pray with him.  I repeatedly asked God to heal him and renew him spiritually. He whispered that his roommate was a really spiritual man.  He overheard him praying at times and knew that he was often reading his Bible.  He didn’t seem offended at this; rather, he seemed curious about this man’s faith.

Then, one day, I walked in and found him smiling. He greeted me warmly – as though he was glad to see me. He invited me to sit down and then unraveled the following story for my benefit:

“Pastor, last night my roommate had a bunch of visitors that seemed to include his family and some church friends. They seemed to have a prayer meeting of sorts. Several of them prayed, and then – at one point – they all started praying at the same time!

[He continued] I couldn’t really zero in on any of their prayers, but I felt an unusual Presence as they prayed! I felt joyful for the first time in years!

Shortly after they all left, I rolled over to go to sleep. I woke up this morning feeling amazing! I don’t have any of the symptoms this morning that have been such a problem for the last three years! [With tears streaming down his face…] I think the Lord healed me while they were praying last night!

I immediately moved closer to his bed and took his hands in mine. We laughed and praised God together over what had happened! As a young pastor – I was so encouraged that God had honored my desire to see this man come to faith in Christ and - on-top-of-that - be healed!

When he was released, he began attending the church and was a fixture during my time there! 

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Do you get it?

Although my new friend had no meaningful communication with his roommate, he was healed as a result of being in the same room with a godly man!

Don’t you want to be this kind of person?

Don’t you want to be a joy-spreader?

Don’t you want people to get God’s blessing – simply by being in proximity to you?

Maybe you should take some time and reflect on this blog article.

Recommit yourself to being God’s man or woman! Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit. Reconnect with His Word! Revisit a church where you can make friends and find meaningful fellowship!

We live in a broken and infected world! People need the Lord! Our culture needs spiritual renewal!

Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me
Let there be peace on earth
The peace that was meant to be

 

With God as our father
Brothers all are we
Let me walk with my brother
In perfect harmony

 

Let peace begin with me
Let this be the moment now
With every step I take
Let this be my solemn vow

 

To take each moment
And live each moment
In peace eternally
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me

[Written by Jill Jackson-Miller and Sy Miller in 1955]

SURPRISED BY JOY

The renowned 20th century author, C. S. Lewis, describes his journey into faith in his book, SURPRISED BY JOY. His candid - but highly intellectual observations, explanations and illustrations challenge me as I read. I won't pretend to understand it all. However, I am mesmerized by his honesty and transparency.
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The title of the book may be a double-intender. Lewis [1898-1963] married late in life. His relationship with Joy Davidman began as a friendship in 1952, before her divorce in America was completed.  She - like Lewis - was a recent convert from atheism to theism to Christianity!  A friend wrote:  "For Jack (C. S. Lewis) the attraction was at first undoubtedly intellectual. Joy was the only woman whom he had met... who had a brain which matched his own in suppleness, in width of interest, and in analytical grasp, and above all in humor and a sense of fun."

The circumstances of their relationship are a love story of great depth, surprising decisions that were questioned by many of Lewis' friends, and remarkable twists of fate.  In the end, however, Joy became the great treasure of Lewis' life!  It was a romance for the ages!  

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His 'awakening' took place unexpectedly while riding on the upper level of a bus! He suddenly felt himself being offered a free choice. His response: "I chose to open, to unbuckle, to loosen the reign...For the first time I examined myself with a seriously practical purpose. And there I found what appalled me; a zoo of lusts, a bedlam of ambitions, a nursery of fears, a harem of fondled hatreds. My name was legion.""

He writes: "You must picture me alone in that room..., night after night, feeling, whenever my mind lifted even for a second from my work, the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet."

He goes on to explain that this initial conversion was not to Christianity, but to theism - the belief in a god. His response was logical: "I started attending my parish church on Sundays and my college chapel on weekdays...I thought one ought to 'fly one's flag' by some unmistakable overt sign."

His humor erupts on this topic: "But though I liked clergymen as I liked bears, I had as little wish to be in the Church as in the zoo." Lewis struggled with the hymns, disappointments and "time-wasting botheration of it all", but persisted.

Finally, he describes his critical moment: "I know very well when, but hardly how, the final step was taken. I was driven to Whitsnade one sunny morning. When we set out I did not believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and when we reached the zoo I did. Yet I had not exactly spent the journey in thought. Nor in great emotion. 'Emotional' is perhaps the last word we can apply to some of the most important events. It was more like when a man, after a long sleep, still lying motionless in bed, becomes aware that he is now awake..."

The journey toward faith is as endlessly varied as the people who take it. No cookie-cutter formula can describe it. Neither can the outcome of this journey be reliably predicted. Many snares, pitfalls and diversions line the way. We are free people and there are two options: to fall on our knees or turn on our heels. Either we may seek to conform our desires to the truth, which leads to conviction, or we may seek to conform the truth to our desires, which leads to evasion. But what is important is that WE DO HAVE A CHOICE! 

Make your choice with eternity's values in view!

AN EXPOSE' OF YOUR SINS!

Through my years - since college days - I've been a fairly consistent reader of the Bible.  I'm fairly familiar with its stories and characters.

As I was reading in Psalms today, I realized something that had never occurred to me before.  

So many of the psalms are written by David - former king of Israel and Judah. Because of his very significant role in the history of Israel, we know a great deal about this man's life!  We know of his humble beginnings as a shepherd.  We are aware of his courage while protecting his sheep against ferocious wild animals.  We know about his exploit with the giant, Goliath!  We've followed the stories of his courage, strength, and wisdom as a fearless military leader.  

But, we also know of his failures.

• his moral failure with Bathsheba
• his guilt in scheming to have her husband killed in battle
• his failures with his children
• the chaos that ensued among his children
• his leadership failures toward the end of his life.

It occurred to me this morning: How would I like it if my sins, failures and shortcomings were broadcast for anyone and everyone to read?  

I can tell you very quickly that I would not like it!  

Yet we know of the failures of so many biblical figures!  

Lot:

• comes off as selfish when he takes the rich valleys and forces Abraham to go into the mountains
• [After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah] he gets drunk and his daughters sleep with him in order to become pregnant!

Moses: 

• killed an Egyptian and was exiled from Egypt
• threw down the 'Ten Commandments' and broke them
• disobeyed God and was prohibited from entering the 'Promised Land'.  

Jonah:

• ran away as a result of the call of God
• Became angry when the people of Ninevah repented and turned to God

Hosea:

• is instructed by God to marry a prostitute who breaks his heart repeatedly by her wanderings.

Peter:

• reprimanded Jesus and got a surprising response: "Get behind me, Satan!"
• denied knowing Jesus!

There are many more examples that could be shared!  

I suppose we should be grateful that all these quirks are included in the Holy Bible.  They show us that God uses imperfect instruments to get His work done!  They remind us that we are human and that "all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" [Romans 3:23]. 

Some of us have sinned greatly!  All of us have sinned and live with regrets.  Fortunately for most of us, our sins have not been published for everyone to read! 

God - in His kindness - did not hide the blemishes in His Word!  The Holy Spirit put them all there for the record - on display!  

God can use flawed people!  God does use those who have sinned greatly!  

He transformed the Apostle Paul who “...persecuted the followers of this Way to their death..." [Acts 22:4]. 

And this practice of God's in the Old and New Testaments has not ended!  He STILL converts people from the enemy's camp and uses them for His mighty purposes!  WOO HOO!  Thanks be to God! 

Perhaps your life has been characterized by shameful behavior or sinful, hostile activity.  You are not beyond His reach!  Oh no!  No one is!  He has transformed many of you to shine for His glory!  And He is still the 'Hound of Heaven'!  He's searching high and low, far and wide for those who will surrender to Him and join His life-saving adventure!  

If you've said 'Yes!' to Him - give thanks!

If you've yet to do so - what are you waiting for?  Say 'Yes!' today and then stand back and see what He wants to do through you!  All this, plus eternity too!  A WIN-WIN!