Staying in the Harbor

Staying in the Harbor

Matthew 4:19 KJV
Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

     My late oldest brother and I would often drive to Seabrook on the NH coast and go out on an all day Haddock boat.  Our favorite skipper had a boat with powerful engines so he would stay behind at the dock until the others had left and sometimes picked up last minute fishermen looking to go out fishing.  While we waited, I would stand on the deck watching the activity around the harbor.  The sun would begin to lighten up the sky and the gulls would be wheeling over our heads looking endlessly for food. The water seemed alive as it beat on the rocks occasionally sending a curtain of spray into the air.
     The deep- throated growl of marine diesel engines filled the air and plumes of smoke rose from exhaust pipes.  Our skipper and his mate would be busy checking bait and gear while the other fishing boats turned towards the open sea and left behind clouds of diesel smoke.  Finally our skipper would cast off the lines and we would head for the misty horizon ourselves, quickly catching and passing the slower boats.  Spray would fly up from the bow of the boat cutting through the water  We were heading out to deeper water where the fish are waiting.
     But the small harbor we had left was still clogged with boats - luxury yachts and sailboats that sat in the water still tied up to the docks.  They wait in silence for a weekend visitation; perhaps a short sail in calm waters or a picnic lunch on deck in the sun.  They’re never really being used as they were designed to be used.
   It was sad to see those beautiful boats just sitting there at the dock.  Rust and corrosion would slowly creep up on them.  Occasionally the owners would polish the brass work and swab the decks clean, but most of the time they were left to sit there.
   I think of that harbor in the morning mist and am reminded of some churches I’ve been in.  There are a few who would go out fishing but most just sit there.  A few will experience the thrill of landing “the big one” but most will only trade fishing stories of the one that got away.  A few will know the clean air of the open sea but most will remain firmly tied up to the dock, thinking the stuffy air of the harbor with its occasional cool breeze is “as good as it gets.”
   It’s sad to see how few are part of Jesus’ working fleet.  So many are just weekend visitors to the harbor, looking for a good time while just sitting on the deck.  The harbor is supposed to be a place of refuge, not a place to spend all your time.  I would have felt cheated if I’d paid for a ticket on the boat and we just sat there fishing in the harbor.  Most of the fish were out in the deep water and the fishing is much better out there.  There are hazards, I’ve hooked a few sand sharks in my time, but also I’ve pulled in some beauties.  How to describe the thrill of the tug of the line, setting the hook, fighting the fish to the surface, then seeing it in the net.  And to a Christian, how to describe the thrill of seeing an unsaved person respond to the Gospel and bow their heads and pray the sinner’s prayer.
   Fish are what fishing is all about.  It ain’t about the equipment or the boat, it’s about the fish.  Church ain’t about the carpet or the overhead projector, it’s about Christ and bringing the Gospel to the sinners.
   Throw off the lines and set out to sea and let your line down into the water.  You never know what may be waiting for you.

Stephen Cram                            October 30, 2011                      Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Boo!

Boo!

John 14:27 NKJV
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

   Halloween time is a celebration based on many things, and one of them is fear.  People who celebrate Halloween like to be scared, and scaring each other is part of the fun.  Kids shout “Trick or Treat” and dress in costumes that are often scary characters and monsters.  What is about fear that makes it so much fun?
   The truth is that Halloween is only fun because we know it’s really not real.  We open the door and smile and pretend to be afraid when the kid there says “boo!” and give them some candy.  We know it’s really not real so it’s not really scary.
   This week I was studying about fear, real fear, because our world is awash in fear more than at any other time I can remember.  The fears facing our world today real and are really scary.  My study showed me many types of fear, and as I traced fear throughout the Bible I found myself back in Eden.
   In the very first encounter between Satan and Eve he suggests that God has not told them everything about the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil because He was afraid they would become like Him, suggesting that God was fearful.  This brought fear to Adam and Eve thinking that God was holding out on them.  The devil began using fear then and it’s still his best weapon against us.
   Fear cripples people are surely as wrapping them in chains and imprisoning them.  A fearful person can find themselves unable to function in society.  These fears fall into categories, and this is not necessarily a complete list, but three categories are worry about personal needs, worry about others, and worry about the future.
   Many become fearful about personal comfort or fear of having a place to live or having enough food.  Some, who have enough for comfort, are fearful about not having as much as someone else.  The devil uses this fear a lot and even tried it on Jesus when tempting Him in the wilderness, offering Jesus food as his first temptation.  We read the news and see this fear has gripped our society.
   Many become fearful about others.  They fear personal safety and shy away from others to avoid being hurt.  Some fear physical pain and some fear emotional pain.  Both fears can prevent people from living fruitful lives.  I always think of an elderly man my parents knew who barricading himself in his home and rarely went out because he was afraid of becoming sick if he came in contact with anyone else.  He had a neighborhood market deliver his food to his kitchen door and he would wash the cans and packages before opening them.
   Many fear being failures and not achieving success.  As I’m writing this I’m thinking back on the surprising number of co-workers over the years who came to work every day fearful of being fired.  Most were good workers and had no reason to think they were in danger of losing their jobs but lived with the fear every day.  One man actually talked about how bad things would be for his wife and new son when, not if but when he lost his job.  How terrible it must have been to live like that!
   I can’t remember how many people I’ve known over the years who dreamed of becoming rich and famous and successful.  And they lived with the fear of never fulfilling their dreams.
   Does fear grip at your heart?  Do you live with the weight of fear on your mind?  There is only one solution to fear, and it’s not in the psychologist’s office.  Fear needs to be brought to the foot of the cross.  We need to confess our fear to God and ask Him for healing.  Only in His love can we find deliverance from fear.  I think it’s safe to say all of us suffer from fear in some form, and trying to live without fear would be like trying to live without having clouds in the sky.  The enemy will bring fear to your door and will throw it in your face every chance he gets.  But your reaction to fear will determine how successful his attacks will be.  You do not have to live a crippled life.  Your weakness is made strong in Christ.  When fear comes on you, stop right then and right there and pray.  I don’t know how He does it, but God will give you the strength to pass beyond your fear and live life free of its power.

Stephen Cram                            October 23, 2011                                Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

Misconception About Gates

Misconception About Gates

Matthew 16:18 NKJV
And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

   Sometimes we Christians get some strange misconceptions.  One misconception is that sin has us shackled and we’re trapped by our sins.   I wrote of that last week.  This week I want to write about the misconception we often have about gates.
   I have heard scores of sermons based on this verse and most talk about, (cue “Evangelist with the Big Hair” voice) “how we frail Christians are under attack by the Gates of Hell, I say again, the very Gates of Hell!  We need to hold on under the onslaught until the bitter end when, at the last minute, Christ will come, (can I get an ‘Amen?’) Christ Himself, I say, will come to our rescue and preserve us for Himself for all eternity!”  (Mops forehead with over-size white hankie.)
   Now, I’ve seen many gates over the years and have, on occasion, handled a few of them during that time.  Not once, in all those encounters, did any of those gates attack me.  You know why?  Because gates don’t attack anyone.  They can’t.  Gates are not weapons.  Armies don’t march to war armed with gates.  The Strategic Air Command has no plans to drop gates over the enemy’s position.  Camouflaged gates don’t sneak behind the enemy’s lines to wreak havoc.  Gates have one primary function - to keep something or someone on one side separated from what’s on the other side.
   Now go back and re-read that verse from the perspective that gates are stationary items designed to keep you out of an area.  Paraphrased, “the gates of Hell shall not prevail against the Church.”  When, or if the Church advances into enemy held territory, the Gates of Hell itself will not be able to hold back that advance.  Can you grasp this promise?  The Gates of Hell cannot stop the advance of the Gospel put forth by a prayed-up Church marching forward on its collective knees.  Faith is the key to this advance; faith in God and faith in His willingness to empower us to share the Gospel with a dying, sinful world.
   This does not mean it will be easy or enjoyable work.  I watched a TV personality, (I can’t call him a minister,) spend a half-hour telling me how being a Christian was really an easy thing.  He painted a picture of happy families sitting in a happy church singing happy songs and hearing a happy sermon then going home to their happy lives.  That family and that church may exist in Mr. Roger’s neighborhood, but I think I live on the other side of the railroad tracks.
   Generations of missionaries dating clear back to Paul and Barnabas can testify that preaching the Gospel can be hard, grueling, dangerous work at times.  I’ve been in many church services where Missionaries have spoken and talked about bringing the Gospel to people who’ve never heard about Jesus before.  They’re pushing against the Gates of Hell and with the power of God behind them they are seeing those gates opening and the Gospel being preached.
   Marching on the Gates of Hell means stepping outside your comfort zone.  When you move into territory where the devil has held sway means he will challenge you.  He hates to lose territory to God and he will defend what’s his with all his considerable resources.  This is why you need to be prayed up when you challenge those gates.  You need to be under God’s protection and you need to study His Word and have it in your heart as well as in your head.  When you find yourself under attack it’s too late to stop and brush up on a couple of Bible verses and hold a prayer meeting.  You need to be ready to respond right away because hesitation or doubt can lose the chance to witness to an unsaved person.        
   There are gates like these all over; in our backyards as well as overseas.  You may find yourself with a chance to witness to a fellow employee or a hairstylist or a mechanic.  You see an unsaved person needing Jesus, the devil sees a victim about to be plucked away from his hand.  Expect resistance and distractions to interfere but push against that gate and see what God will do.

Stephen Cram                            October 16, 2011                       Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

A Misconception About Sin

A Misconception About Sin

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

   Sometimes we Christians get some strange misconceptions.  One misconception is that sin has us shackled and we’re trapped by our sins.  We might know intellectually that we are forgiven by the Blood of Jesus, but in the back of our mind we still feel that sin has the upper hand over us.  I spent many years of my Christian life feeling that sin was steel trap waiting to entrap me up and prevent me from growing in Christ.
   Falling into sin is a dangerous thing to do, and flirting with sin is dangerous ground to be standing on.  But do not believe that sin is like a big bear trap waiting for you to step into its jaws trapping you forever in its jaws.  Sin is more like a set of Chinese finger cuffs.
   Remember those?  When I was five or so, my memory is a little vague that long ago, an older brother brought home a set.  He showed me how to slip my fingers into them, which I did, and then laughed and laughed at my vain attempts to get free.  Today these little traps are made of crinkly paper, but back then they were made by something the thickness and consistency of cornhusks.  I tugged and tugged and tugged some more, but the diabolical things had a firm grip on my index fingers and would not let go!  Finally, my Mother told him to let me out and he showed me how to get them off.  
   The secret was so simple – don’t struggle.  Relax and let them just fall off by themselves.  The secret of Chinese finger cuffs is that they’re designed to let you trap yourself.  You are as trapped as you let yourself be and are free when you want to be free.
   Sin, to a Christian, is little more than Chinese finger cuffs for the spiritual realm.  When I sin, my first reaction is defensive.  I’ll tug and tug at the sin but will never be free of it as long as I try to overcome the sin in my own strength.  I’ll never be able to free myself from the clutches sin in my own strength and my struggles won’t get me anywhere.
   I can hear some of the dear old Saints my grandmother and mother knew and how they’d proudly say that they hadn’t sinned in over twenty years.  I sure can’t make that statement and I don’t think I know anyone who can.  So if we do sin, is there hope for us?  Yes, there is 1 John 1:9.  
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
   I’ve heard this called the Christian’s bar of soap.  I don’t really think you can go twenty years without sinning anymore than you could go twenty years without getting dirty.  Dirt happens to everyone, including the “dirt” from this world that we live in every day.  We associate with sinners so it’s not unlikely that we might get some sin on us from time to time.  Then we need to apply 1 John 1:9 to free us from the sin.  Sin will fall away when we don’t struggle but let the power of the Blood of Jesus clean it.  Sin is strong, yes, but it’s nothing next to the Blood of Jesus.  We may fail from time to time and then sin will grip our lives, but like those Chinese finger cuffs sin’s grip is only effective when we allow it to be.

Stephen Cram                            October 9, 2011                              Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8

The Epistle to the Athenians

The Epistle to the Athenians

1 Corinthians 2: 1&2 NKJV
1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.
2 For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I hope no one actually tried to find the epistle to the Athenians, because there isn’t one.  My question is, why not?  Paul went there on his second missionary journey, and it was the city he visited right before he went to Corinth, which we read of in the two epistles written to the Corinthians.  So why not Athens?  Athens was the former Greek capitol and still a prominent city under Roman rule.  Athens was the Greek center of many things – philosophy, education, art, literature, and more. It was also the center of their pagan religion based on the Olympians gods and goddesses.  Paul went there and visited the center of learning and tried what I consider a good tactic to introduce the Gospel to the Greeks.  They had statues to all sorts of gods and goddesses and had one to, “The Unknown God,” to be sure they didn’t leave any out!  So Paul called their attention to this statue and said, in essence, let me tell you about this “Unknown God” and then laid out the Gospel to them.
   At first glance, this was a good idea.  He tried to reason with them intellectually, as they were the intellectual elite of the most intellectual city on the Greek peninsula.  But, as it turns out, it wasn’t a good idea.  Paul’s message was received and debated by these high-brows and then they dismissed it like so many other arguments they’d heard, and it failed to hit their hearts.    
   I think, (and this is my opinion here,) that the Gospel can’t be reasoned out with the mind.  The Gospel requires the action of the Holy Spirit to be effective, and appealing to the intellect interferes with His work.  Just a few verses before Paul’s admission of weakness in what we call chapter two, he made a statement in chapter one about this very idea.
1 Corinthians 1:23
but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,
 Why is it foolishness?  The work of the Holy Spirit in the life of a sinner is not in his head but in his heart.  I’ve had the privilege to witness to many people over the years and I’ve seen people being pursued by God.  None of them really understood what was happening to them, because the changes being made in their lives to bring them to salvation were happening in their hearts, about 18 inches below their brains.
   In 1 Corinthians 1:22 Paul makes the declaration, probably learned from his encounter in Athens, that the Greeks seek wisdom.  The story of a convicted rabble-rouser dying on a torture device in a little rebellious province of the Roman Empire to save you from your sins and from eternal damnation is not something easy to explain to someone seeking wisdom.  In fact, to quote Paul, it’s foolishness.
   When Paul got to his next stop, Corinth, he found a sinful city.  Corinth was a seaport and a center of trade and lots of money changed hands daily.  Religion didn’t play much of a part in the everyday life of the Corinthians.  Paul was, I imagine, embarrassed by the reaction he got in Athens.  He did what we need to do when we fail at some task; he turned to God.  He drew strength from God and when he faced the task of bringing the Gospel to this sinful city he did it God’s way.  I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.  
   He goes on to give the secret to witnessing:
Verse 3: I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.
Rather than try to win them with the force of his personality or persuade them with his dazzling intellect, he came to them knowing he was not able to accomplish his task with his own power.
4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
And that sums up witnessing better than any words I can write.
   We never, anywhere, read of a church in Athens.  I suppose there was one, but it never seemed to make an impact on the world.  The church in Corinth did.  It still is because the words Paul wrote to them are still with us and still influencing lives today.
   When you witness, remember the lesson Paul learned the hard way.  You must prepare with prayer and let God go before you and begin to work on their hearts.  When you witness, remember it’s all about Christ and not about you and it’s not about your church.  When you speak with them, let God guide your words.  Depend on the Word of God and don’t be afraid to quote it frequently.  When God, in His Sovereign will, begins to pursue a sinner, He allows us to be partners with Him in that pursuit.  We may even get to be there at the birth of a new Christian.  This is an awesome privilege and we need to be prepared to meet the challenge.


Stephen Cram                            October 2, 2011                     Colossians 2:8

Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  Colossians 2:8