October 3^rd, 1992 marks one of the more controversial episodes of Saturday Night Live. At the height of her career, musical guest Sinead O’Connor was scheduled to perform in front of a live television audience. She gladly took the opportunity to express her regard for the sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. Her latent hatred for the entire scandal, and the figurehead of it, was about to boil over. As planned, she sang her song that night, held a picture of the Pope in front of the camera, and with all the fervor of an Old Testament prophet, tore it into pieces, threw it on the floor, and boldly petitioned America to “fight the real enemy”.

The nationwide outrage that ensued made it obvious that her message was heard loud and clear. The NBC network received thousands of phone calls criticizing her actions in the days to follow, while the New York Daily News called her performance a “HOLY TERROR”. Considering the reaction she got, you would’ve thought Ms. O’Connor had actually tried to murder the Pope, but she didn’t. She just tore up an old picture of him that used to hang in her mother’s bedroom.

As assassination of the Pontiff was out of the question for Sinead, she did the next best thing to express the depth of her hatred: She destroyed his picture. And by doing so, there was no mistaking the point: When you hate someone, but aren’t allowed to kill him, you can placate your loathing by vandalizing the thing that bears his image. …Sound familiar?

WE’VE SEEN IT ALL BEFORE

A performance like this is nothing new. Satan’s been expressing his disdain for The Creator in a similar way ever since the beginning. He abhors God and would kill Him if he could, but he can’t, so he does the next best thing: He harasses, attacks, & destroys His image-bearers. It all started with Eve, but that same sad episode has been re-run billions of times over in one long season of sin and death. Anything that resembles God is a visible reminder of the One Satan hates, which is why he relentlessly attacks mankind…Christians in particular.

There are dozens of ways to desecrate a photograph: You can rip it, shred it, or tear it to bits. You can flush it, bury it, or light it on fire. You can deface it, erase it, or stain it beyond recognition, and the devil’s tried it all. In fact, the only thing he won’t do, is ignore it, and the better the quality of the picture, the more desperate he is to get rid of it. His method is hardly the point, he just wants the job done. He’s ruthless, relentless, and manic. It’s who he is and what he does. He is Apollyon, the Destroyer.

But too much talk of the devil and you’ll begin to think he’s everywhere when he’s not. And yet, too little and you’ll forget that he’s around at all. Interesting how he’s both easy to overlook and impossible to ignore at the same time. Like a small plastic ball under only one of three shells, he’s never everywhere, but always somewhere. So, we ought to be on our guard.

When you hate someone, but aren’t allowed to kill him, you can placate your loathing by vandalizing the thing that bears his image

WE’LL SEE IT HAPPEN AGAIN

Satan is conscious of all that’s happening at our church, and it irritates him to say the least. If we’re feeling the heat lately, let’s remember that it’s because we bear God’s image. It’s no wonder then, that Satan would be so adamant about destroying us. He’s been strolling through world history leaving massive piles of torn photographs behind him, and now he’s looking at us. He’s opened up our page of the photo album, and he doesn’t like what he sees. We keep reminding him of the God he hates. 

Sinead O’Connor’s disgust for sexual sin is understandable, commendable, and just. No one should be too upset about what she did. What we should be upset with is what Satan is doing. He’s waging a war against His Creator by destroying His creation; He’s mocking the Father by torturing His children. He’s showing his spite for a righteous God by spitting at His picture. If we’re to be outraged when someone attacks the Pope, how much more so when it’s God? People aren’t the real enemy, Satan is.

One day his controversial attack on the human race will be nothing more than a memory…something of the past. But until then, it’s a reality. Our reality. So, hold it together. Be sober. Be vigilant.

In 1808 Sir Walter Scott penned a line that would become more popular than he likely realized at the time: “Oh, what a tangled web we weave” he wrote into an act called “Marmion”, “when first we practice to deceive”.

LESSONS FROM HISTORY

More of a keen observation than a fictional quip, the fact that sin makes our life a knotted mess isn’t hard to see. Read the script of Israel’s second king and you’ll know what I mean.

Called by God and anointed by the Spirit, yes, but David was no angel. He would eventually transgress again and again. Lust followed by adultery, and then after that, solicitation for murder. A series of sinister decisions turned everything into a tangled clutter. His sin, not surprisingly, would end in death (II Sam.12:18).

Judas was similar. Greed followed by theft, and then after that, conspiracy to murder. Like his Jewish forbear, Judas’ sin jumbled up his entire life, and likewise ended in death (Mt.27:5).  

CONTRASTING LEGACIES

David & Judas: The King of Israel had a penchant for women; the Disciple of Christ had a thing for money, and both accounts ended with a funeral. Different vice, same result. What started in the heart, culminated in the grave. Oh, what a tangled web we weave…

The lasting reputation of these two men, however, are polar opposite: Judas is forever labelled as the “son of perdition”, while David is remembered as “a man after God’s own heart”. Putting these accounts side by side makes you wonder how David was able to escape the snare, while Judas wasn’t so fortunate. What was the difference between them both that resulted in such contrasting legacies?

PARABLE OR PROPHECY?

There’s a story told of woman who worked long ago at a textile mill. With an occupation like hers, it was inevitable that there would be occasional tangles in the thread. This being the case for all who worked in the mill, a sign was hung on the factory floor that read: “When your thread gets tangled, call on the foreman”. To no one’s surprise but her own, the woman’s work eventually got snarled.

Embarrassed of herself and concerned for her position, she tried to ignore the sign. “Calling for help might get me in trouble” she thought, “I’ll just straighten this out myself”. She tried and she tried to untangle that thread, but she only made her situation worse. Finally, she called the foreman and said, “I did the best I could”. To which the cunning foreman replied, “No, you didn’t. The best thing you could have done was to call on me”.

Everybody at the mill gets their threads tangled.

When David became entangled in sin, he called upon God. It was the best thing he could’ve done. As promised, the Heavenly Foreman rescued him from distress (see Psalm 32). When Judas became entwined, however, he tried and tried to untangle that thread, but he only made his situation worse. The foreman wasn’t called upon, and Judas lost his position.

Therein lies the difference between the two men. David called upon God, whereas Judas tried to fix the problem on his own.

What would you do? After all, everybody at the mill gets their threads tangled, but only some will call upon the foreman.

UNTANGLED FINALLY

Sir Walter Scott wasn’t the first to realize that characters like us have a knack for weaving ourselves into an awfully tangled web. Every player in human history knows that’s true. But are you enmeshed in your sin? Are you trapped in a web of deceit that you’ve woven yourself?

There’s no need to lose your position over it. Call on the Foreman. It’s the best thing you could do. He alone knows how to resolve the issue and untangle your life once again. He’s done it for others, He can do it for you.  

“FINALLY…I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone! Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there’s still time, so they don’t drown in judgment” – Psalm 32

Doing God’s will is never easy for anyone, not even Jesus. He too was once faced with a decision to either fulfill God’s desires or to satisfy His own. And it was a choice that nearly killed Him on the spot (Mt.26:38). Well before the whips ever touched His back or the thorns even pierced His brow, Jesus was already bleeding (Lk.22:44). His condition was critical, even though His execution was still hours away. 

A Horrible Fate

Lest we wrongly assume that Jesus Christ was never reluctant to follow God’s plan, the Scriptures reveal otherwise. The Gospel writers give us a glimpse into His prayer-life at the time. “If it’s possible” He prayed, “let this cup pass from me”. It was Jesus’ way of saying “I don’t want to do what you’re asking of me. Is there any way around it?” Our Lord knew the plans God had for Him. They were plans to harm and to destroy. Plans for a dismal future.

A Resolute Mind

In spite of His apprehension, however, Jesus was determined to let His Father have the final word. “Nevertheless” He said, “not as I will, but as you will”. Three times He prayed, and “let your will be done” was the refrain. Jesus clearly made His own wishes known, but, in the end, He subjected them to God’s requirements. He wouldn’t back down from His Father’s ultimate plan & purpose, but was determined to do the will of God, even if it killed Him.

A beautiful life is just within your reach…

Jesus was willing to suffer incalculable loss in order to fulfill God’s unique design for His life. And knowing the end of the story, we’d all agree that it was the right decision. Never before, nor since, has there been a life more beautifully lived than the one that Jesus did.

A Personal Call

The Apostle Peter made mention of this in his first letter. Writing to people like you and me, he says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example…that you should follow in His steps” (2:21). By choosing God’s will over His own, our Lord Jesus Christ became the perfect source of inspiration for anyone facing the soul-rending task of choosing between God’s will, and their own.

We’ve all been supplied with the same free-will that Jesus had. What you do with it, however, is for you to decide. Will you follow in His steps, or blaze your own trail? Will you choose to do God’s will, and so prove to have the mind of Christ? Or will you live as you please, and so prove to have a mind of your own? A beautiful life is just within your reach, but guarding it too closely is bound to make it ugly.

A Beautiful Life

Doing God’s will is a difficult decision for everyone, including Jesus, but anybody can do it, even you. The next time you find yourself having to choose between fulfilling God’s desires or satisfying your own, remember Jesus, “the author and finisher of your faith, who…endured the cross, disregarding its shame. And now He’s seated in the place of honor…beside God’s throne”.

This dark world could always use a little more beauty in it.

You can help.

The following is a fiction story to illustrate the futility of a life lived in the pursuit of what our culture says will satisfy.

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The journey started pleasant enough. It was a beautiful cool day. The sun was shining, birds were chirping and there was a light breeze. It really was a perfect day to set out on an adventure. Although distant, when I lifted my gaze straight up I could see the destination. Sure, it was far off but nothing that I couldn’t manage. Squinting, I could see the splendor that awaited me. The ladder was tall and at times I lost sight of it among the clouds. It was a shiny green metal and I couldn’t help but think of Jack and the Beanstalk, but this was no fairy tale, it was the real thing. This was my life and I was determined to succeed. 

With great confidence, I began my climb, quick and energetic, With every rung I could see the prize getting closer. Success would be mine before I knew it. I just had to keep going one foot in front of the other.

As time went on I began to notice just how far I had yet to go. But I was undeterred, after all nothing good ever came easy. It was colder now. My hands had begun to fall asleep from my fingers tightly grasping each and every rung ensuring that I didn’t slip and fall. One misstep and all of the exerted effort would have been in vain. My pace slowed. When I looked down I could see that others had begun the accent. All of us knowing with unwavering certainty that the great prize awaiting us would be worth any temporary discomfort. Great things never come in comfort zones. 

I began to count the rungs as I passed them. It seemed like a good way to pass the time. 1,2,3,4,6, no that can’t be right now I have to start over. 1,2,3,… on and on it went. Only the knowledge that everything I had ever hoped for and dreamed about would soon be attained kept me going. I simply needed to keep pushing ahead. Hand over hand and foot over foot I continued to climb. 

After starting my count over for what seemed to be the three thousandth time, I realized I was no longer wearing shoes. Having long ago lost all feeling to any of my limbs I wondered how long since they had fallen. I’m certain they were on my feet when I started the venture. Oh well, shoes were a small price to pay for what awaited me. So I trudged on. What had started as a joyful journey could now only be described as drudgery.

My eyes were firmly locked on the ladder, no longer wanting to brave the look below. The ladder had long ago become encrusted in corrosion. My hands filled with flakes of rust. The grandeur had given way to ruin. Yet I kept going. 

My arms ached in pain. My legs felt as though they were lead. It took every last ounce of energy that I had to pick my foot up and place it on the rung above. It seemed as though the ladder never ran out of rungs. It was like trying to go the wrong way on an escalator. No matter what I did, the destination didn’t get any closer. But not being one to give up, I pushed on, fighting the pain, cramps, and fatigue. I had spent myself to get here. I remembered the years of training and preparation, I though of the mentors promising that the pain would be worth it in the end. 

I couldn’t believe that I had traveled so far. Blood was dripping from my limbs but I could finally see the prize. The top was nearly within grasp. What felt like a lifetime passed. Perhaps it did. Eventually, I reached the last few rungs, nearly losing my footing in my excitement.to behold the prize. The last few steps felt like an eternity. My eyes crested the long awaited edge and when my eyes beheld what lay before me my mouth opened in shock. It was nothing like I had ever imagined. Simply put it was… nothing, I had climbed the ladder to nowhere. There was nothing special about this place. It was no different than anything else. Expecting the elation of final fulfillment I instead experienced empty disappointment. 

Looking down again I saw others scrambling after me. I tried to warn the upcoming climbers, but they refused to listen, “It’s not what you think. It’s not worth it. Don’t waste your life!” I called down, but few would listen. They were determined and had to see it for themselves.

I’d gotten to the very top, I chased what everyone told me to chase, and it was empty. What a waste. I had spent myself and for what? I slowly and methodically headed back down with a heart full of disappointment and despair.

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Another way

Countless people spend their lives striving for what can only lead to disappointment, climbing ladders that reach nowhere. God warns us that what we think satisfies never will. (Proverbs 14:12). Jesus offers another way. He says to seek first the kingdom of God and that then everything else will be added to you (Matthew 6:33).  

Imagine being stabbed in the arm with a penknife. Not so much as to kill you, but enough to make you bleed. It was unexpected, unprovoked, and whether it was intentional or not, you aren’t certain, but one thing is clear: It hurts. Really bad.

Imagine then going to the doctor. You tell him everything: How deep it the wound is, how awful it makes you feel, and how you did nothing to deserve it. Yet the doctor isn’t half as concerned as you are. He tells you that he’s seen far worse. But, like a good physician, he does his job. He stops the bleeding, sews you up, and councils you on how to dress the wound for yourself. You leave the clinic feeling no better than when you arrived.

Now imagine coming home. With plenty of time to think, you recall every last detail of the incident to make sure that you’re not the guilty party. You play the episode over and over in your mind like a bad re-run. You even go so far as to remove the gauze so you can see once more, just how much of a victim you really are. They say “bitterness has such a sharp memory, because bitterness has good study habits: Review, review, review” [i], and you’ve become quite the scholar. It’s a trauma you can’t let yourself soon forget, so you pick at the stitches. It hurts and bleeds all over again, but it’s the only way to keep the memory fresh.

Insult to Injury   

This goes on for days, weeks, even months, until it finally gets infected. The care-sheet from your unsympathetic doctor went out with the trash long ago. And there’s no way you’re going back to the clinic now. Not in a million years. They’ll just minimize the pain again. You don’t want their help anyway, because once the wound heals, there’ll be no more proof of how guilty your enemy is! So you pick, pull, rip, and tear. The infection keeps spreading, and you don’t really care anymore. It’s destroying you, but you tell yourself, “That’s what they get!”

“In this life, you’re bound to get poked, pricked, and even stabbed”

After a year or more, your arm finally falls off. You weren’t responsible for the wound, but it was yours to keep clean, and you failed. You refused to dress it, you rejected the doctor’s advice, and you wouldn’t let it rest. Now it’s gone, and all you can think is “I still can’t believe they stabbed me!” Sure, they may have stabbed you, but they aren’t the reason you lost your arm. You are. And now you’ll spend the rest of your life blaming somebody else for the loss of a limb, even though it’s all in your imagination.

Time Doesn’t Heal All Wounds

The scenario above is a graphic illustration of unforgiveness. It’s the resultant injury we inflict upon ourselves by refusing to forgive the one who initially injured us. But it’s not beyond your imagination. It’s a painful reality for countless Christians.

“Picking at the stitches…is the only way to keep the memory fresh”

Unforgiveness is the wound that time doesn’t automatically heal. It’ll never go away on its own. The longer you wait, the worse it’ll get, and the more responsible you’ll be for the losses you suffer because of it.

Skin is Thin

The Apostle Peter had been “stabbed” once or twice, and wanted to know how many times he was required to forgive (Mt.18:21). In his mind, seven times would be more than enough. But Jesus informed him that the bandage might need to be changed hundreds of times. Whether “Seventy times seven” means we forgive 490 individual sins, or just one single sin 490 times, we aren’t sure. But Christ’s point is clear: Keep the wound clean, Peter.

Human skin is between 1 and 4 mm thin. In this life, you’re bound to get poked, pricked, and even stabbed. Words can be sharp (Pr.12:18), and the sinful behavior of a brother can hurt (Gen.4:8). Some of those wounds will be intentional (Pr.27:17), while others will be inadvertent (Pr.27:6). But the real threat to your future isn’t always from the original injury…it’s in your response to it.

“Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you” Colossians 3:13  

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[i] Doug Wilson, “How to be free from Bitterness“. Wilson is also to be credited for the illustration of unforgiveness as an unkempt stab wound.

The cruise ship industry is an estimated 8 billion dollar a year business. Last year alone, millions of individuals made their way on board ships averaging over 1,000 feet long and several stories tall. It’s not surprising that the experience of a cruise is highly coveted. Passengers are greeted warmly by a small crew of dedicated workers set on meeting the desires of each and every passenger. People choose to go on cruises so that they can enjoy a limitless amount of luxury and comfort. Cruise ships are dedicated to meeting not only the needs but the wants of each of their customers. Take a stroll across the deck of a typical cruise ship and you see people swimming in pools, going down waterslides, sunbathing, eating obscene amounts of food, and drinking until they can no longer walk straight.

A Better Way

Battleships, on the other hand, are full of people who are gathered together for a single mission. Every person onboard the vessel is there to participate. Instead of a small minority working to provide extensive comfort for the majority, all on board work for the sake of the fulfillment of the assignment. Instead of chasing comfort, the sailors deliberately embrace discomfort for the good of their nation.

All too often the Christian church seems to possess the mentality of a modern-day cruise ship. A small group of people working hard to provide entrainment, comfort, and service for any that would find themselves “onboard.” Christians seem content to stroll through their lives demanding amenities rather than submitting themselves to service.

The Example of Jesus

Jesus makes no such allowances for those who would call themselves His followers. Instead, He said in Matthew 8:20 “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” He makes it clear that if you are hoping for a life of comfort and ease it won’t be found following Him. He came not to be served, but to serve. He traded the comforts of heaven for the difficulties of earth. He didn’t let a desire for a life of comfort and ease keep him from His assignment.

Caught in Comfort Unaware

Satan would love for you to be comfortable. He wants you so comfortable you forget about the war you are supposed to be enlisted in. He wants your comfort to send you drifting off to a sleepy sort of apathy that keeps you from ever doing anything consequential. He wants you so comfortable that you never actually need God to come through for you.

I’m afraid that the reality is many of us are more comfortable than we even realize. The problem is we can be so accustomed to this comfort that we don’t even recognize it. We fail to understand that we have allowed ourselves to be lulled to sleep by a lullaby leaving us in a state of spiritual lethargy and indifference. If you are going to do anything worthwhile it will require that you leave the clutches of your metaphorical couch.

Embracing the Difficulty 

If Jesus was as concerned for His own comfort as you and I are tempted to be, we would be left with no hope of salvation. But instead, He not only allowed discomfort into His life but in submission to His Father He intentionally sought out discomfort. The same must be true of you and me if we want to be used by God. As Jesus told His disciples in Luke 9:23, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” We need to go beyond allowing discomfort into our lives, and instead, throw ourselves into it.

Jesus did it for us. Will you do it for Him?