Temptation Cave

In preparing a talk about temptation this Sunday at Southbrook Church, I realized a few things....

- Temptation hits everyone in different ways
- Temptation always leads to destruction
- Temptation is easy to rationalize

Have you found these to be true for you as well?

Good thing we have the story of David in the books of First and Second Samuel.  David's life is a powerful exploration of both the victory that comes from rejecting temptation as well as the desolation that follows sucumbing to it.

3000 years ago the soon-to-be king, David was hiding deep within the bowels of a nearby cave.  King Saul roamed the land, looking to kill David.  One night, after eating some Hot-Pockets he found the need to relieve himself.

David's men urge him to go and Kill Saul; and David refuses.

David comes face to face with temptation and stands firm.  To kill the King would be an offense to God, he reasoned; since God put Saul on the throne it stands that God would remove Saul from the throne.

David was tempted by power, convenience and safety.  These aren't bad things, in fact had David killed Saul it could have made things a lot easier for David.  By refusing to give in to temptation, David stands as a role model for the rest of us.

Talking about temptation is difficult, for everyone of us is tempted in some way by someone or something.

There is good news, which is that God's power is stronger than our weakness.  Religion offers rules, whereas God offers true, internal life-change.

I have found great comfort in this verse from First Corinthians 10.13
  'No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to all.  And God is faithful; he will not let
  you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out   so you can endure it.'

Would You Buy Groceries for the Man Who Stole Your Wallet?

You are in the grocery store and feel a bump. Instantly you notice that your wallet is missing from your purse and a suspicious man is quickly walking away.  What do you do?

Jessica Eaves, mother of four from Guthrie Oklahoma knew what to do. Track the guy down and offer to buy his groceries.

She followed him through the store as he was trying to exit. While tracking him down she remembers thinking to herself, '...this scripture from Luke kind of jumped out at me that said if someone hits you on the cheek, turn the other cheek.  If someone steals your cloak, give them your shirt.  So I thought, 'Well I'll just be nice.'"

She corners the man and tell him that if he returns the wallet right now she will forgive him and even buy his groceries.  But if he refused, then she would turn him in to the police.

Eaves explains what happened next...

“He just kind of stared at me for a second and he reached into his hoodie pocket and handed it to me,” she explained.

Eaves then proceeded to pay for the man’s groceries, which consisted of items such as milk, bread, bologna, soup, crackers and cheese. He became emotional and was moved to tears as she covered his $27 bill.

“The last thing he said to me was, ‘I’m embarrassed, I have kids, I’m broke and I’m sorry,’” she told local television station KOCO.

However, the story didn’t end there. Eaves states that she never carries cash on her, but just happened to do so that day. Even more amazing to Eaves was the fact that she had just the right amount of money in her wallet to cover the man’s groceries.

“When I got to the check-out counter that day, his total was just a little over $27 and I had $28 in cash in my wallet,” she told the Christian Post. “And so I knew in that moment it wasn’t me. It was Christ that played in that moment.”

Imagine what the world would like if we could put into practice Jesus' command to love our enemies and our neighbors!

Jesus is not a Republican, what?

'Is Jesus a Republican or a Democrat? Well pastor, what is he?'  'Neither,' I replied, leaving the questioner rather disappointed in both me and my answer.

The desire to capture Jesus and twist him to fit our individual political personality is one that every age wrestles with.  After bringing Israelites out of Egypt, they formed a golden calf so they can worship a god that they could control, that would obey them.  God resisted this and punished His people.

During the time of Jesus, the Jewish people tried again to fashion a god that would do their bidding. Once while Jesus was healing people and feeding thousands, a political/military group tried to seize Jesus by force. 'Here is the perfect leader,' they thought, 'let's force him to be our King.'  Jesus resisted and fled from his people. The lesson learned is this: Jesus rebuffs any and all attempts to be made the poster child for anyone's political party.  

Celebrated author Marilynne Robinson, recently spoke about her perception of the Republican Party and Christianity.  She spoke to The American Conservative here.  Her main quote:

Well, what is a Christian, after all? Can we say that most of us are defined by the belief that Jesus Christ made the most gracious gift of his life and death for our redemption? Then what does he deserve from us? He said we are to love our enemies, to turn the other cheek. Granted, these are difficult teachings. But does our most gracious Lord deserve to have his name associated with concealed weapons and stand-your-ground laws, things that fly in the face of his teaching and example? Does he say anywhere that we exist primarily to drive an economy and flourish in it? He says precisely the opposite. Surely we all know this. I suspect that the association of Christianity with positions that would not survive a glance at the Gospels or the Epistles is opportunistic, and that if the actual Christians raised these questions those whose real commitments are to money and hostility and potential violence would drop the pretense and walk away.

How about a civil discussion on Robinson's quote.... Are both political parties acting in ways that are contrary to the teachings of Jesus?  Does one party have a spiritual monopoly on Christianity?  Would Jesus resist today trying to be a poster-child for a wing of American politics?

Interview with a Catcher

Recently CoffeeShopPastor had the opportunity to interview the Los Angeles Dodgers starting Catcher, AJ Ellis about his Christian faith.

AJ has been vocal about his relationship with Jesus, speaking at various events about his faith.  Last year he joined Milwaukee Brewer Corey Hart at an event where they both talked about the pressures and joys of being in the Major Leagues and the challenges of being a Christian athlete.

Two weeks ago, right before the 2013 MLB Post-Season began, I asked AJ a few questions about his faith...

CoffeeShopPastor: 'What is it like being a Baseball player who is a Christian?'
AJ Ellis: 'As my teammate, friend, and accountability partner (not to mention best pitcher in baseball) Clayton Kershaw told me once, "Our goal is not to be a "baseball playing Christian" but to be a known as a "Christian who happens to play baseball."

Sometimes I feel Christian ball players have it easier than those who aren't in that we have the peace to know that God has already determined the outcome and course or our seasons and careers. God is much more concerned in:

1. Our work ethic as we prepare to compete using the talents He has graciously given (Proverbs 21:31). 

2. Our response in the outcomes of our performance. Do we praise Him when we succeed? Do we still thank Him and accept our failures as part of his pan?'

CoffeeShopPastor: 'How do you stay focused on Christ during the long season?'
AJ Ellis: 'We are so fortunate as a ball club to have a strong Christian presence in our clubhouse. We have an average of 20 men, including our coaching staff who regular attend our Sunday Baseball Chapel service. The accountability and common passions of my teammates allows me to freely and openly praise God and honor Him with a community of believers. It also has created an environment where I can be approached when I am not acting or being a witness of God's grace in my life.

In addition to our Sunday Chapel we have weekly Bible Studies at our home stadium and in hotel rooms across the country that allow us to dig deeper into God's Word and also share more in depth about the struggles and temptations of the professional athletes life.'

CoffeeShopPastor: 'How does your faith in Christ affect how you approach the game?'

AJ Ellis: 'I know the camera is on me all the time as a catcher and I know the example I want to set. I want to compete with all my heart and do so not to receive praise from others but to honor God like it says in Colossians 3:23.   Through my determination and my passion I can be someone who people say "what's different about that guy" and hopefully they find the answer is my relationship with Christ.'


CoffeeShopPastor: 'What advice do you have for young ball players who want to pursue a career in Professional sports?'
AJ Ellis: 'Work ethic, healthy competition, desire, passion, determination, team-work, fairness, serving others, leadership, etc, are all wonderful and important things Sports has taught me. Those attributes are things that help me as I approach every day life. That's been my ticket to a better life. It's not the financial rewards or the minimal fame that has made my life better. Those will both quickly evaporate and fade away but the way I conduct myself, my attitude, and my relationship with others will last this lifetime thanks to the opportunities I've been blessed with through baseball.'

The Happiest Job in America -by Forbes Magazine

According to this Forbes.com article, Clergy rank the highest in Job Happiness!

Firefighters, Physical Therapists, Authors and Teachers round out the Top 5.

Why do Clergy take the top ranking...?

Hours: Working one day a week is great!
Boss: Fair and Just
Co-workers: Some of the best in the business
Retirement Plan: Lasts for ever and ever
Benefits: Comprehensive and complete
Employee Handbook: Contains everything that I need in Life

Curious to hear your thoughts as to why Clergy get the top spot?

Did God Send an Evil Spirit to Torment King Saul?

Alert reader Rachel S. asked some thought provoking questions...

'I noticed that at least twice in the scriptures we read Sunday that it said that Saul was overcome with an evil spirit from the Lord after which time he did something to try and harm David. Can you explain what that means? How could an evil spirit be from the Lord? If from the Lord, is Saul responsible for his actions?'

On a couple of occasions in First Samuel we read that God sent an evil spirit to King Saul.  We see this in 16.14-16, 18.10, and last Sunday in Chapter 19 and verse 9.

Remember that Saul was allowed by God to be King, even though the people knew that this was in direct disobedience to God's plan.  God didn't acquiesce; rather He gave the people what they asked for as a way to demonstrate the negative results of their failure to follow His plans.

Saul reigned as King for 27 years before David was chosen to be the next King...and then for another 13 years till his death.  We do not have have many stories from Saul's first 27 years, but the Bible indicates that Saul quickly turned to his own devices, placed God second, and often used God to get what he wanted in life.  This greatly displeased God, and so in First Samuel 16 we find see the intersection of Saul and David. Saul begins his great descent and David his divine ascent.  

In First Samuel 16.14 we read, 'Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him.'

There are a few options as to what this means...
1. God directly sent an evil/tormenting spirit to Saul.
2. God removed his protection from Saul, which allowed an evil spirit to get to Saul.
3. Saul's actions demonstrated that he wanted to turn away from God; so God now allowed Saul to experience the consequences of his actions.

A few thoughts...
God is not the author of evil.  He is all-powerful, which means that when evil happens it does not catch Him off guard.  Evil occurs within the bounds of of God's sovereignty.  Can God use evil spirits/demons to do His will, to punish, and as judgement?  Certainly.  What we know is that God gave Saul 27 years of ruling and a direct line to heaven -via Samuel the Prophet. God provided Saul with the tools that he needed to succeed, yet Saul consistently rejected God's plan.  

The Hebrew word 'spirit' is 'ruach' and can also mean a 'human spirit.'  Also the word 'evil' can also be translated as 'bad' or 'harmful.'

With this in mind, I believe that a combination of 2 and 3 above may be the best answer to this difficult question.

If you are wondering, 'What type of God would do this to any person?', keep this thought in mind.... God did not just abandon Saul to his actions, but He continued to show Saul grace by allowing Saul to experience relief through David's harp playing...  A consistent picture of God in the Bible is one who holds both Justice and Grace in perfect harmony....and that is what He is doing with Saul in Chapters 16-19 of First Samuel!

Sunday Morning Leftovers - September 29th, 2013

"The Hot Beast of the Middle East," Losing in Life and a Bag of Philistine Foreskins....

Ah just another happy story in the life of David the soon-to-be-King of Israel.

David just defeated Goliath and led Israel's troops over the Philistine armies and everyone is singing his praises!  Girls are tweeting about David, the Paparazzi follows his every move.  Israel's GQ put David on its cover with the headline, 'David: The Hot Beast of the Middle East!'

King Saul put David in charge of Israel's armies and David's winning streak continued.  Battle after battle brought only victory and success.

David had everything going for him in life... a successful job, a wife, and a best friend in Jonathan.  He was a man of character, whom the Prophet Samuel had anointed to be the next King.

Then, over a period of 12 years, David enters one of the most desolate stretches of his life... One by one, everything and everyone that David relied on in life was removed.  He lost his position -and was forced to run like a common outlaw.  He lost his wife after her father (King Saul) hatches a plan to trap David.  David could marry the King's daughter after he delivers a wedding present of 100 Philistine Foreskins!  Let's just say, I've given many mediocre gifts in my life, but this one takes the cake!  (oh by the way, David brings 200 to the King!).

David loses his best friend Jonathan, only meeting up with him once during this time. Same with the Prophet Samuel... David truly is alone... And finally when he seemingly had nothing else to lose, he defaced his own dignity and self-respect, by going to the enemy king and acting insane....


God has a way of allowing us to go through difficult times so that we end up relying on Him.  He often will remove those things in our life that we put before Him.

We may long for those times when all of life seems to be perfectly aligned... We call these 'Mountain Top Experiences.'  The reality is that our life is lived not in the mountains, but through the abrasive reality of our messed up lives... Billy Graham said it best, 'Mountain tops are great for views, but fruit grows in the Valleys.'

David reminds us that we will often lose in life.  Knowing this ahead of time helps to not only prepare us, but to cause our dependence to grow on God and his love for us...