Bullet-proof

I was thinking the other day how cool it would be to be “bulletproof.” Not too long ago, another remake of the original “Superman” movie was released into the box offices across the nation. I’m not sure how successful the movie was considered to be overall, but according to a June 23, 2013 article I found online, it had already grossed $398.3 million, worldwide. Apparently, the world is very interested in a story about a man who fights for what is right, just and fair…and who just happens to be “bulletproof” as well.

Of course, it is impossible for us mere mortals to have bodies that are impenetrable to bullets, as the “Man of Steel” does, but there is good news still to be heard today. The God we serve is infinitely higher and greater, stronger, faster, wiser, and more powerful than all of our ideas of what a “Superman” would be. Jesus is the perfection of all that we hope for, for all that is just, right, and fair.

Sadly, however, the majority of the human race chooses to reject Jesus, in all His splendor, and chooses instead to believe in ideals and fiction that will never be. Humanity simply cannot rise above and become altruistic. Man cannot become better than he is now. It is not in our nature to do so. So many, so sadly, spend their entire lives pursuing that which will never be. Only God, His will, His plan, His blessings and a relationship with Him are real, worthwhile and beneficial to man.

While the ideal of the “Superman” as Hollywood presents it is not a reality, there really is a way for us to be “bulletproof.” This “secret” is contained in the pages of the Book of Isaiah:

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.”

So here it is, the way to be “bulletproof.” This is not a way for us to bounce bullets off our chest, but a way to be capable of dealing with and not being ultimately defeated by all the bad things that come into our lives. The verse does not say that we will not deal with adversity. It does not say that we will not have times that we are knocked down, attacked or even brutalized. What it does tell us is that we have the undying, unquenchable, unending hope that our God will “never leave us nor forsake us.” We may be struck down, but we will not be defeated. We will rise…again and again…. Much like the mythical creature the Phoenix, we will often rise out of the ashes of what the Enemy “meant for harm” and [if we allow God to forge us], we will become more than we were before. By His hand we can become more than we are, we can grow, we can increase, we can become….all that He has called us to be.

We may never fly, jump tall buildings in a single bound, be we can all be SUPER men (of God) because Christ is the perfection of manhood, our goal, the standard by which we compare ourselves. Through the hand of God at work in our lives, allowing and trusting Him to use our adversities and our pain and suffering to change us, we can become true “men of steel”, impervious to all the attacks that our enemy might hurl at us.

Like Isaiah says, it is the heritage [the inheritance and the God-given right] of the servants of the Lord to enjoy His protection, His deliverance, and His blessings. So, put on “the whole armor of God” as you leave this morning and let’s be to those around us the example of what God would consider to be a Super man!

Who’s in Charge around here?

When we hear something on the news or over the radio about a disturbing or terrible event or breaking development, we often (if just for a moment) experience a sense of panic.  While a heightened sense of awareness in times of distress or tragedy is normal and sometimes beneficial, allowing that to spiral downward into despair or worry is harmful to our well-being, and spiritually wrong. 

The Word tells us to: “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7), to “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5).  It also says things like, “for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7). 

These are but a handful of Scriptures that teach that God is in control, and the Bible is full of other such passages that encourage us to trust God.  So, why do we so quickly and so readily worry?  Many would say that it is just “human nature” to worry and that it is just an extension of the “fight or flight” response of our sympathetic nervous system to a perceived attack or threat to our survival.  However, I believe that there is a much deeper and spiritual context to be explored. 

Our enemy, the devil, wants us to doubt God.  He wants us to doubt His promises and forget about His faithfulness.  When we start to wonder whether or not God can take care of us, then we begin to focus more on ourselves as the source of our help, and not our God. 

“My help comes from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:2)

In the world we live in, and the times as they are, we must remember…and be reminded of what we read in 1 Samuel 2:

(1 Samuel 2:6-9)  

6The Lord gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.

7The Lord makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.

8He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump.

He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. 

For all the earth is the Lord’s, and he has set the world in order.

9“He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness.

No one will succeed by strength alone.

 

In all of our lives, and in every situation we face, may we always remember and take comfort in these words from God’s Word: (1 Samuel 2:8c)

 

FOR ALL THE EARTH IS THE LORD’S

AND HE HAS SET THE WORLD IN ORDER

Conduct Yourself with Honor

     Remember when Jesus stood before Pilot to be questioned?  What did He tell Pilot?  I find it interesting that Jesus said very little when being questioned.  You see this portrayed in movies as well.  When this scene comes us, often the actor portraying Jesus just has this solemn, strong-silent look on his face while Pilot asks him what should be done, what “crimes” is He guilty of, etc…

     So, as I’m reading today in 1 Peter 2 about how we are a chosen race, a royal priest hood and that we belong to God.  Our purpose, 1 Peter 2 tells us, is to proclaim the “excellencies of him who called you” and verse 11 specifically calls us to “abstain from the passions of the flesh.” 

                The key verse, for me, was verse 12:

”Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”

A few things I want to point out:

1. Our conduct is to be honorable (Jesus’ conduct always was)

2. Others WILL speak evil against you…just give it time and it will happen (people spoke evil of Christ)

3.  If we have honorable behavior, others will notice and see that behavior (everyone saw Jesus behaving honorably)

Here’s the most important part:

4.  WHEN others see us behave honorably EVEN when we are wrongly accused or being spoken evil of, it is a TESTIMONY to others..it will amaze them…perhaps shock them.   They will then have to give God the credit for this behavior, because we all know that a person is not capable of such behavior in and of themselves.  Others will realize that NO one is THAT good unless God is in them.  God is glorified when we live like this.

     Jesus is our model of behavior and the goal we all shoot for, right?  He is our standard of excellence and our goal is to become more Christ-like, right?  What did HE do before His accusers?  How did HE treat those in authority?  Look at what he said in Mark 12:17 when He was talking about whether or not one should pay taxes:

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.

     They MARVELED at him.  Why?  When you are this committed to the will of God and refuse to bend, even when questioned, people notice, there are amazed and many times they are shocked at such behavior.  Our human nature tell us that it’s “ok” to bend the rules and compromise what we believe in when it is convenient or profitable to us…but Jesus NEVER did.  And that is why HE is our example.

     IF we are truly to emulate Christ and become more like Him, we must do this in EVERY area of our lives, not just those that are convenient and easy.  We must dig, deep into the depths of our souls, and bear all of ourselves to Him to be forged into His likeness…even if this means that we must suffer or feel pain.  Wasn’t it Paul that said to live is Christ and to DIE is gain?   (Philippians 1:21)

     I leave you with this final passage from 1 Peter 2 to meditate on, and it is my hope that we all will never tire in our efforts to be more like Christ.

²²He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. ²³When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.