A Silhouette of Truth

March 16, 2015March 16, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Like many other sports fans across the USA, my TV has been dominated by ESPN and college basketball. As I was watching to see where and when KU and WSU would play, I remembered a quote by John Wooden: “It’s what you learn after you know it all that counts.”

Wooden’s words remind me of the self-portrait Paul painted in Philippians: “If it were right to have such confidence, I could certainly have it, and if any of these men thinks he has grounds for such confidence I can assure him I have more. I was born a true Jew, I was circumcised on the eighth day, I was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, I was in fact a full-blooded Jew. As far as keeping the Law is concerned I was a Pharisee, and you can judge my enthusiasm for the Jewish faith by my active persecution of the Church. As far as the Law’s righteousness is concerned, I don’t think anyone could have found fault with me (Philippians 3:4-6).”

As a Pharisee Paul thought he knew it all, but when he met Jesus he underwent a radical change: “But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them filth, so that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God based on faith. My goal is to know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, assuming that I will somehow reach the resurrection from among the dead (Philippians 3:7-11).”

Let me paraphrase the verses above in just a few words: “I got rid of my worthless-self-righteous-know-it-all attitude, so I could know Jesus.”

Stephen Covey said that, “In the last analysis, what we are communicates far more eloquently than anything we say or do.” The “what-we-are” communication of Paul, was the harsh restrictive, and punitive mindset of the Old Testament. Paul knew the nitty-gritty essence of what it took to be a Pharisee, but he didn’t have an itty-bitty speck of “what-we-are” grace. Paul was a know-it-all theologian, and at his core, he would abhor the grace-themed principles of Christianity.

Paul’s pace was slowed on the Damascus Road, when he had a personal encounter with Jesus. Up to this point in his life, Paul had tried to find fullness in a silhouette of truth. When he met the Way, the Truth, and the Life, Paul couldn’t ignore His majestic mercy and the grace galore that Jesus offers.

The arrogance of what Paul was, was quickly overshadowed by the eloquence of what he became. He became a Christian of significance because he was not content to just talk-it-up. He knew he needed to live-it-out.

The Covey quote I shared earlier seems to be based on the teaching of John: “Let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” If “what we are” determines the effectiveness of what we say, how influential is your life?

The Meaning of LIfe

March 6, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

When you first see the word, you may wonder if you will remember how to spell it. When you try to read it, you may think you will mispronounce it. The word is Ecclesiastes, and it is one of the Wisdom books of the Old Testament.

Ecclesiastes is a record of Solomon’s attempt to find the meaning of life. When you get to the last chapter of the book, Solomon makes a summary statement: “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

There are some places in this book where you will find a phrase is repeated several times. The fourth chapter is a good example:

4:1: “the oppression that is done under the sun”
4:3: “the evil work that is done under the sun”
4:7: “I saw vanity under the sun”

The three repeated words, “under the sun,” reveal the key to Solomon’s frustration. His attempt to find meaning in life was difficult. “Under the sun” places the emphasis on a horizontal perspective at the expense of the vertical dimension.

What Solomon initially failed to grasp, was firmly gripped by Paul. Notice how he accentuates the vertical perspective of the Christian life: “Seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth (Colossians 3).”

Paul’s use of the word “above” calls attention to the vertical perspective and contrasts it to the “things on earth,” or the horizontal realm. Which one of these orientations guides you?

The answer to this question is found in what you wear: What have you put off and what have you put on?

Paul said you should, “Put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.
Once you have put off the horizontal, you are ready to put on the vertical: “Put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created you.”

There were times when I was a kid that I would frustrate my parents and they would ask: “What in the world do you think you’re doing?” That’s not a question you need to answer; however, you might think about this: How are you living under the sun, and what have you put off and put on?

It’s The Time of Your Life

March 5, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Being on time and staying on schedule could be a difficult task for me, but it isn’t. Google Calendar is an application I use every day to help me manage my life.

Each morning when I start my day, I have an email from Google waiting on me. When I open it, I find my schedule for that day. I don’t have to wander through the day wondering what I am supposed to do. Thanks to Google, I already know.

The person who waits for the right time to do something fails to realize that time is a precious commodity that quickly rots when wasted and spoils the opportunity of the moment. It doesn’t make any difference if you think you are living in the best of times or the worst of times, this is the only time you have—it is the time of your life.

You have 60 minutes in every hour; 1,440 of them every day; 10,080 of them every week; and a whole bunch of them in a year. If you will manage the minutes of your life, the hours will take care of themselves.

The time of your life is so important, the psalmist said: “Teach us to number each of our days, so that we may grow in wisdom (90:12).” The idea is not that you assign a number to each day of your life. The concept is that you get the most out of each day, so you are living it for the glory of God.

Carl Sandburg captured the essence of this discussion when he said: “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.”

It is the time of your life, so spend it wisely.

Are You Barely Bearable?

March 4, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Am I a BEAR or a BEARER? This is one of the questions I asked myself when I had finished reading Galatians 6. The practical and profound principles that Paul states in this section of Scripture provide a good checklist for anyone who desires to live a life that is pleasing to God. What answer can you give to this list of questions?

6:1: When someone stumbles and falls, do I restore him in a spirit of gentleness or do I kick him while he is down?
6:2: Do I lend a hand to a fellow Christian and “bear one another’s burdens” or do I find fault in him and savage him with hurtful gossip?
6:3: Do I deceive myself with a false sense of self-importance?
6:7: Do I realize that I am going to reap what I have sown?
6:9: Am I keeping my eye on the goal of the harvest, so I don’t grow weary in doing what is good and right?
6:10: Do I look for opportunities to be a blessing to others?
6:11: Do I remind myself that the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ” is constantly with my spirit?

There are seven items on this checklist. To unleash the power of each them, I suggest that you read them for the next 7 days at 7 AM and 7 PM.

As a list, this is just a potential principle; but, you can make it an exponential essential by reviewing it today whenever it is 7 minutes past the hour (7:07. 8:07, 9:07. 10:7, etc.).

The practical application of these principles will develop a tactical expression of your faith.

Weighing Your Options

February 28, 2015March 2, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

In a post I made to this blog last week, I wrote about character and reputation. I cited Romans 5, and I called your attention to a cause and effect link: “Suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.”

Over the weekend I reflected again on the words of Paul, and I remembered a story that Billy Graham tells. It’s a good illustration of how God can use the suffering you encounter in your life.

The incident occurred during the Great Depression, and Graham spoke of a friend who had lived a life of hardship. The man had lost his job, his wife, his home, and his fortune. This Christian could not comprehend the purpose of his suffering, but he didn’t let his trials shake his faith.

While walking by a church one day, he stopped to watch some masons as they worked. One of the men was chiseling a triangle shaped piece of stone, and Graham’s friend asked him: “What are you doing?” The workman replied: “See that little opening near the top of the spire? I’m chiseling this stone down here, so it will fit in just right up there.”

As Graham’s friend walked down the street, his eyes filled with tears and he smiled. He realized that God was using his suffering as a chisel down here, so some day he would fit in up there.

Paul said: “For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the coming glory that will be revealed to us (Romans 8:18).”

When your heart aches, I hope you will find some comfort in the promises of Psalm 27:1, 14: The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!

I’ll close with this thought: When you wait on the Lord, He lifts the weight of the world.

Study to Show: A Lesson on Diligence

February 26, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

As I was studying last night, my focus turned to 2 Timothy 2:15: “Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (KJV).”

The verse begins with the word “study,” and it finds its origin in the Greek word spoudazō. This word is frequently translated with the primary meaning of being “diligent.”

Paul’s instruction to Timothy was “Study to show…” When I reflected on these three words it occurred to me that a lack of study also shows—diligence and negligence are polar opposites.

There are three different times that Paul used a form of spoudazō in his instructions to Timothy and Titus (2 Timothy 4:9, 21; Titus 3:12). In each of these three cases, spoudazō is translated, “Do your best.”

When you read 2 Timothy 2:15, you can see three results of doing your best and being diligent in your study of God’s Word:

You receive God’s approval.
You will not be embarrassed or ashamed.
You “rightly divide the word of truth.”

The two words “rightly divide” are also interesting because they come from a Greek word that is only found once in the New Testament, and it is in this verse. The word is handling or “orthotomeō,” and it means, “to cut straight; to set forth truthfully, without perversion or distortion (Munce).”

It is translated:

“Rightly handling the word of truth” in the English Standard Version.
“Handling the word of truth with precision” in the International Standard Version
“Correctly teaching the word of truth” in the Holman Christian Standard Bible.

To explain this verse I have often used the example of a carpenter making a straight cut through a piece of wood; however, last night I thought of this verse in a different setting.

I think a better illustration of “rightly dividing the word of truth” is the well-manicured and carefully cut outfield of a baseball stadium. These works of art are the result of a focused and concentrated effort that involves the use of the right equipment and allotting the proper amount of time to finish the task.

I’ll leave you with this thought: How does your study show?

The Voice is Your Voice

February 24, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Last night I had my TV tuned in to ESPN, so I could watch the Kansas State Wildcats play the Kansas Jayhawks in a game of basketball. During a commercial break, I quickly flipped through the channels and found The Voice playing on channel 3.

NBC describes The Voice as “the Emmy Award winning, number one series on NBC, featuring the country’s best unknown artists and four of the biggest names in music as coaches.” Due to the success of the program judges Adam Levine, Pharrell Williams, Christiana Aguilera, and Blake Shelton have become household names.

The title of the show, The Voice, reminds me of the words of Psalm 5:1-4: “Listen to my words, O Lord, and consider my meditation. Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, for to You I will pray. My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; In the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.”

There is a voice that God listens for throughout each and every day of the Earth’s existence, and it is your voice. God listens to your words, and He considers your concerns.

When you read this Psalm, you can discover several things:

The details of the prayer: It was not some haphazard exercise, but there was an appointed time to meet with God—“in the morning.”
The determination and discipline of the prayer: “I will pray” not “I might pray.”
The direction of the prayer: It was directed towards God (Jeremiah 33:3).

The difference between “The Voice” and “Your Voice” is this: You have never had to compete to get the Judge to hear you voice and to get His attention. You can approach Him boldly in your time of need (Hebrews 4:16), and you can have the confidence of knowing He always hears your voice: “The Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my appeal for mercy; the Lord has accepted my prayer (Psalm 6).”

…..Please feel free to share this link and this blog with your family and friends…..

An Instrument of God

February 23, 2015February 23, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

When I read John 9 this morning, seven words popped into my mind: “The absence of Jesus demands my presence.”

When faced with the dilemma of a blind man, Jesus said: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world (John 9:5).” Because He is no longer in the world, I am responsible to proclaim the principles of light in a world of darkness.

God has equipped you and me for this ministry. Peter said: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, [God’s] own purchased, special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (I Peter 2:9 ~Amplified Bible).”

This theme was developed in the life of Noah who Peter referred to as a “preacher of righteousness.” The world had witnessed wickedness, but God called Noah out of that darkness and into his marvelous light. Noah was chosen to speak of the excellent qualities of God that were revealed in a single word picture—the rainbow.

In the language of the night and day or light and darkness, The Message emphasizes ythe ministry of those God has chosen: “You are the ones chosen by God, chosen for the high calling of priestly work, chosen to be a holy people, God’s instruments to do his work and speak out for him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”

Last week I spoke to a friend that I had not seen in several months. I said: “Good to see you.” He replied: “Good to hear you.” He has lost what most of us take for granted—the ability to see. His blindness gives him the unique perspective to contrast the experiential difference between light and darkness.

In a spiritual sense, the believer also has a unique perspective. He has been “chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (GWT Version).”

It is difficult to explain the wonderful sweetness of honey to someone who has only tasted the sourness of a lemon. Because you have lived in a sour world and tasted the sweetness of God’s Spirit, you are God’s instrument and you have been chosen to reveal the “night-and-day difference he made for you—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.”

A Radical Life and a Twinkling Star

February 20, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

Radical is the title of an interesting book written by David Platt. It contains several compelling statements that have a Great Commission orientation: Platt said, “Jesus has not given us an effortless step-by-step formula for impacting nations for His glory. He has given us people.”

The closest thing to a formula is found in Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8, but these verses are more of a road map than they are a formula. To have any hope of accomplishing the Commission Christ gave His church, we need to live the life of a disciple.

Platt said Jesus has given us people, and we are to: “Live for them. Love them, serve them, and lead them. Lead them to follow me, and lead them to lead others to follow me. In the process you will multiply the gospel to the ends of the earth.”

Because we are living in the age of “me, myself, and nobody else,” this concept is contrary to what many people practice. With this mindset, it is no wonder that society does not comprehend principled New Testament living.

Is there a glaring omission of the Commission and its principles in your life?

Are you living a selfish or selfless lifestyle?
How is God’s love for the world seen in your ministry to others?
Does your example impede, or does it lead people to Jesus?
What about your conversation? Does it deny or multiply the power of the gospel?

If you live, love, and lead people with a servant’s heart, you can identify with the words of Daniel 12:2-3: “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”

Does your life brightly shine for God’s glory?

29 More Days

February 19, 2015 / insightbyseymour / Leave a comment

With the foul weather, frigid temperatures, and bone-chilling wind, it’s hard to believe that the first day of Spring is about a month way. Proof of this is the frequent appearance of seed catalogues in my daily mail.

Bright red roses and other fragrant flowers will soon be in full blossom. As the buds of these plant begin to form, gardeners will sniff about them in anticipation of their pleasing aroma.

The scent of a flowering plant is designed to attract insects for the purpose of pollination. In 1953 chemists could only recognize 20 of the chemicals in a rose’s fragrant bouquet, but now they can identify 1,700 different scent compounds.

The sweet fragrance of flowers reminds me of a couple of verses in the Bible:

In Revelation 5:8, John speaks of “golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.”
In Ephesians 5:1-2, Paul encourages us to “be imitators of God, as beloved children, and to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

I’ll leave you with a question to consider: Are you know for raising a stink or for a life that is “a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God?”

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