The Best Investment in Uncertain Times

We are in the midst of some of the most uncertain times most of us can remember. All the things we once trusted for a secure future seem to be eroding. Our retirement, savings, jobs and financial security are just the tip of the iceberg. By the way, the icebergs seem to be melting under us. Many are worried about the future of the planet on which we live. For the first time in my memory the future of our country has come into question. A recent study has indicated by the year 2025 the U.S.A. will decline in financial and military influence in the world.

Religious people are looking at signs and seeking to fill in prophecy charts to find answers. False prophets will continue to take advantage of these times and confuse many. They have done this for years. People have incorrectly been looking for the Antichrist and other signs of fulfilled prophecy to be ready and get the jump on being prepared for the end of things for thousands of years. In Paul’s days there were many who quit working because they thought it pointless since the signs pointed to an immanent end of the world as they knew it. Paul wrote that those who did not work shall not eat. Evidently he would not be in favor of government welfare for able bodied citizens.

Many thought Kaiser Wilhelm was the Antichrist and World War I was Armageddon and the end was near. Obviously that theology has changed. But we seem to be a people of a short memory as were the Israelites. We continually mistakenly look to false prophets, mistaken interpretation of prophecy, the next Antichrist and miss the point of the message God gave us about the end.

First, there will be an end to things as they are. All things that are created by God change and move toward a conclusion that is purposeful. Second, he has given us the knowledge we need to follow toward that end. We are going to be held accountable with how we spend our lives here. That is the best way (and only way) to prepare for that conclusion. Placing faith in Christ or rejecting the offer of his salvation for one’s sin determines one’s final destination in either Heaven or Hell but God has clearly indicated that there are still degrees of reward or judgment depending on what one does with the time and opportunities here. That is the simple purpose of life.

The twenty fifth chapter of Matthew is one of Jesus’ most clear teachings on the end times. He tells us that it will come unexpectedly. By the way whenever we die that is the end time. I have conducted funerals for babies less than one year old and people nearly one hundred. Jesus has not yet fulfilled his prophetic promise to come again but for them that was clearly the ‘end time’. It can come for us when we are completely unaware so we must always be ready for life to end and be prepared.

He also tells us that each has been given certain expectations and opportunities in life and it is anticipated that we will use these as our ‘investment’ into eternity by giving and multiplying them for God’s benefit more than our own.

Finally, he tells us that the way we conduct ourselves by showing love to those who need it most is the best way we can prepare for the end. As we do this we show how we love Him. “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'”

So stop worrying about tomorrow. You can be secure in your investments. The future is not uncertain. Your life, as you know it will end. You will have to give an accounting for your ‘investment’. Show love for everyone you encounter today. Make the most of what God has given you for His glory. Tune out the false prophets. Put down the eschatological charts and get busy sharing love and taking care of the “least of these” around you each day. It is the best investment you can make to prepare for the certain future that is ahead.

Do You Want To Be Well?

I begin this writing with a disclaimer. It is longer than most I have written. It also contains some personal confessional truth I share from my spiritual journey that I hope will be helpful as you move along your way. Try as I may I could not find a brief way to properly share some of what I thought was important truth. D.T. Niles once described evangelism as, “One beggar showing another where he found bread.” I share the following in that same spirit.

Jesus encountered many in His brief time on earth to improve their life here and for all eternity. He is still doing so today. However, not everyone who encountered Jesus then or now had or has their life improved or changed. That fact always astonishes me. Why would one not take every opportunity to have things better, especially forever? Perhaps an encounter with Jesus from the 4th chapter of John gives insight. Jesus came to an invalid at the pool of Bethesda. He had been in this condition for some time. The pool was a common place for blind, lame & paralyzed people to gather. There was a common suspicion that magical healing powers were in the waters which was fed by an underground stream. From time to time air pockets would form in the feeding current and the pool would bubble. The belief had formed that an angel was stirring the water with a healing touch and the first one in the water during this supernatural ‘therapeutic’ moment would be healed. So there would be people waiting for the bubbles and a desperate scurrying to be healed. There are some so desperate to be healed that they will try anything. These are the poor souls that are often most vulnerable to scams and con artists. But that is another article.

The pool was also a gathering place for many who did not believe in the superstition but knew many charitable people would come there to give to the sick. This was long before government welfare so this was a common practice. Some had no intention of seeking to be better. They had given up on improving their situation. They just came to receive aid as they remained in their situation. This prompted the question of Jesus. “Do you want to be well?” While it is not God’s purpose to heal all physical sickness, as Jesus did not do so then nor does He do so today, God does seek to give us a changed abundant life (see John 10:10). “Do you want to be well?” is the tipping point question still today.

Even God, with all of his life-changing power, does not force change or improvement on those who seek to remain in their current situation. The invalid in John’s Gospel explained to Jesus that he did indeed wish to be well & was desperate to do all he knew & was doing all he was able to do in his limited physical (and current spiritual and intellectual understanding) would allow. Jesus then changed his life. As a preacher of that life-changing gospel who has traveled and ministered to individuals and churches on five of the seven continents over the past 30 years I have often wondered why so many are intent on staying in their ‘crippled’ condition.
I have come to the following conclusions: There are some people who are simply content in their current situation. I am reminded of a story of a new county agent that drove to an old rural farm in his newly assigned district in his new Government Issue truck with the label on the door. There was an old farmer dressed in his bib overalls, one button undone, hoeing preparing to plant his crop in the old fashioned way he had done for years. The new agent, with his new government issue uniform and all the enthusiasm he could muster, went to the old farmer who never paused in his hoeing. He introduced himself and said, “I am here to help show you how you can farm better than you have ever farmed before.” The old farmer still continued to hoe as he had done in the past and said, “I already know how to farm better than I have farmed before.” Some people are never going to change, even if it is for the better. Change takes work. Depending on the depth of change it may require physical work, emotional work or the work of faith. Some change requires all three. Some have such an ego that they do not wish to admit that they need change or improvement. To admit a need for change means admitting there is something wrong with the current condition and they have developed an ego that will not allow that assessment. Others are in such a state of denial for several reasons that they do not see that they need change so they choose to remain ignorant or superficial. Some stay in their state of sameness, illness or refusal of change that necessitates growth because they enjoy the attention they receive from illness wrongly portraying that attention as love.

There are other reasons but those who are not interested in growth have probably not read this far so I will not address them. What I do want to address is change. In his book entitled Deep Change Todd Hunter writes, "We live in a tumultuous time. Change is everywhere, and we are surrounded by circumstances that seem to demand more than we can deliver. We are all regularly lured into playing the role of the powerless victim or the passive observer. In such roles, we become detached, and our sense of meaning decays. We look at everything in a superficial way. We see little potential and have little reverence. To choose to play either of theses roles is to choose meaninglessness or the slow death of the self. We has always been embedded in a dilemma. We have always had to agonize over the choice between making deep change or accepting slow death.” The term ‘slow death’ jumped out at me as I moved my elderly father into my home to become his caretaker. It is sad to watch this man whom I once looked upon as my role model slowly waste away but the more tragic episode in his final chapter of life is the glaring evidence of the reality of his choosing a ‘slow death’ years ago as he chose to let life pass by. He simply chose to stop challenging himself in his ways of thinking and forming a growing world view. It is sad to see this in my father but he is not alone.

There is a spiritual sadness in those who do the same. I know pastors and church members who seem to have a preference to cling to ego, tradition and old mind sets rather than go through the work and often fearful challenge that is involved with what is necessary to really be well or have real change. They are often just going through the motions. We all find it hard at times. We know what is to feel tired and feel like there is more demanded than we can deliver and we become weary and want to stop growing. But, I believe those who truly seek to be spiritually whole/well have a conscience that will not allow them to stop growing. We also have seen the ‘slow death’ in others and do not want to go there.

This type of growth is not cosmetic or superficial. Hunter writes, "...differing from incremental change in that it requires new ways of thinking and behaving. It is change that is major in scope, discontinuous with the past and generally irreversible. Effort at deep change distorts existing patterns of action and involves taking risks. Deep change means surrendering [But] most of us build our identity around our knowledge and competence in employing certain known techniques or abilities. Making a deep change involves abandoning both and “walking naked in the land of uncertainty..."However, we must realize that this is the true adventure of faith. Jesus tells us in John 3:8, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." This is the adventure of those who are born again and trust Jesus as he says, “Do you want to be well?” Trust Him, choose life, read, study, learn grow, test everything and hold on to the good (I Thessalonians 5:21) and let go of old ways that are slow death that are holding you back from following Him more completely. It is a glorious journey!

Pursue Truth

If you live long enough you just may hear anything. I have heard how I can buy houses with no money. I can send a vow of $10 or more and receive untold riches. I can have a medical miracle or financial prosperity from God by sending for, and properly using (they come with instructions to follow which usually include being on a regular mailing list to solicit funds) any of the following “free” items; miracle manna bread, anointed oil, miracle water, green prosperity prayer cloth and (my personal favorite) the red blood of Jesus prayer handkerchief. I can also lose weight while I sleep, have great abs without difficult exercise by ordering any number of exercise aids, usually for $19.95. I can take a certain pill and eat all I want and not gain weight. I can also take 5 strokes off my golf game with any number of instructions, videos or gadgets again usually for that magic price of just $19.95 (I wonder if I tried them all would they combine and take off the 72 strokes that make par and I simply would not have to go to the course? Then I could do something else with that money spent of green fees…maybe send in another vow and get another prayer cloth.). Then there are other examples of marvelous things that politicians will tell you they will do for you when they get in office. If you are still buying those promises I may need to send a red blood of Jesus prayer cloth to you. I can’t guarantee it to give you that miracle the politicians and others are promising you but you can use it to cry in when you realize you have been duped again.

These are just a few of the things you can hear from watching TV (especially if you do not require as much sleep as the normal person), listening to some speeches, sermons or much that is going on around you each day. How do you know how to filter out the nonsense and discern the truth? How do you know who or what to believe today? One politician tells us one thing while another says the opposite. Then if they are selected to run on the same ticket they suddenly agree. Someone once said the only way you can tell when a politician is lying is to check and see if their lips are moving. However, politicians are not the only ones to lead us astray. It is hard to know which newscaster to believe. One certainly can’t trust advertisers. One commercial tells us soda is the way to go. Then we hear that one diet soda a day will cause weight gain. One doctor may recommend surgery while another says change your diet. I really worry when they want their money up front, which may mean they don’t think my prospects look good enough to pay later. It can really become troubling when you don’t know which preacher to trust. While these other issues are important eternal issues hang in the balance with these messengers.

Truth is far too important in any matter to be lost by the way it is clouded by presentation. Remember that was the tactic in the Garden of Eden. The original deceiver was crafty and made deceit look attractive. The problem with far too many of us lies with the truth that we share the same problem of Pilate in John 18:39. He stood face to face with Jesus, God in flesh, truth incarnate (see John 14:6) and asked him the question, “What is truth?” Yet before Jesus could answer that profound question Pilate turned and addressed the Jews. Quickly seeking to remove himself from involvement from this difficult situation. You see too many of us are more worried about the easy out than the truth. Truth may not always lead to what initially seems to be the easy road but Pilate, like the rest of us would have fared far better if he had remained in contact, conversation and communion with the truth, Jesus. The truth is always the best solution in the conclusion of the matter. It may not be pleasant to deal with at the moment but the end result is well worth it.

Who can you believe? You can always trust and believe Jesus! His eternal word and His teachings will always guide you and will never go out of style. The problem stems from the fact that far too many do not actually read, study, understand or follow His word or teachings. I have seen far too many so called ‘liberal’ and ‘conservative’ preachers skip or misuse the Bible for their own agenda rather than shape their lives, agenda and ideas to the truth of the Bible. I watched one of the most popular pastors in the country; in the largest church deliver a very positive message but it was roundly incorrect in its theological content. However, his congregation nodded in approval. They were either unaware or unconcerned with the fact that they were in church and were hearing a non-Biblical message. (To his credit he has admitted that he is not a theologian and his ‘call’ is to uplift and encourage people. My concern is that one can be uplifted and encouraged by reading Prevention magazine. When one comes to church one should hear life-changing eternal truth that comes from faith in the resurrected Christ and not hear simple positive philosophy.)
Far too many people in the pew or watching TV will place unwavering trust in the presentation of some polished preacher or gifted speaker. Jesus tells us in John 10 that his sheep know him and will listen to His voice. Life here and especially in eternity depends far too much to trust anyone but Jesus. Let us not make the mistake of Pilate and walk away from truth. Take time to stay the presence of Jesus and learn how to know when you hear His voice and not be deceived by another. Too much is at stake!