The Violent Take It By Force

Matthew 11:12 "From the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence and the violent take it by force."

The picture here is of a great multitude storming a city to lay hold of it's riches.

I firmly believe that Heaven will be populated by those we may not have expected.  Not the average, normal, nominal American Christian who are popular and soft and self-satisfied. I think we will see slews of the desperate, the tenacious, the determined, the zealous, the single-minded, and the steadfast.

Matthew Henry expounds on this verse in his commentary, stating, "They who would enter into the kingdom of heaven must strive to enter; that kingdom suffers a holy violence; self must be denied, the bent and bias, the frame and temper, of the mind must be altered; there are hard sufferings to be undergone, a force to be put upon the corrupt nature; we must run, and wrestle, and fight, and be in an agony, and all little enough to win such a prize, and to get over such opposition from without and from within."

Those who are good enough to suit themselves, those who are self-satisfied and full of their own righteousness will never see the inside of Heaven's gates. Neither will those who just don't care enough, or are unmotivated to put forth the effort to see the Kingdom of God advance. It is not those who sit back and watch from the sidelines that will lay hold of the Kingdom. It is those who fight day and night against their own self-will. It is those who wrestle with God for the treasures of the Kingdom like Jacob wrestling with the Angel all night for a blessing. These will lay hold of what they so earnestly desire.

Look at those in Christ's day who laid hold of the Kingdom:
The woman with the issue of blood, pushing through an anxious crowd to touch the hem of the Man she was forbidden by tradition from speaking to. The three ingenious men who lowered their sick friend through the roof to lay him at Jesus' feet because the crowd on the ground was too thick. The woman who braved scorn and ridicule to wash the Savior's feet with perfume and tears. Zaccheus, willing to lay down pride and public image to seize an opportunity to observe Christ closely.  The 120 in the Upper Room waiting and laboring in prayer for the promised Holy Spirit.
And who did not lay hold of the Kingdom: Those who felt like they didn't need it. Like the Pharisees, puffed with pride and self-righteousness, attempting to re-route the path to Heaven so only those as lofty as themselves could enter. Or those unwilling to make the sacrifice to gain it. Like the Rich Young Ruler, walking away from Jesus with his fortune intact, but forsaking what would have made his faith complete. Also, those who attempted to gain it the soft, easy way. Like Simon the Sorceror who would try to buy the treasures of the Kingdom rather than live the holy lifestyle that would allow him to access them for free.

We are used to soft American life. We love our ease and our comfort here in our pleasure-seeking and instant gratification lifestyles. Americans will go to church on Sundays...sometimes...but only the late service. We read the Bible if life gets rough, or say a prayer on a bad day. If asked, we'll admit to being Christian, but really, we prefer to keep that quite in case it could embarrass us.  But there is something in this comfort we are used to that is out of place in the life of a whole-hearted Christian. We have a hard time admitting that real Christianity requires effort and discipline. We forget that Paul admonished Timothy to "endure hardship as a good soldier."

I think we all face a point in our Christian walk where the rubber hits the road or we hit the road. We have to determine whether we will stand up or shut up, be a fence-walker or a fire-starter, live it up or live out loud, sleep in or press in, be a fop or a fighter. It is hard to do anything halfway...we tend to get burned out. In the life of a Christian you can be a name-only saint for so long. Pretty soon you either decide to live every moment for the cause of Christ, leaving every other venture and love behind, or decide it's not worth the sacrifice and leave true Christianity to someone a little more tenacious. Christianity is not something you put on - like a pair of shoes - it is something you become. It requires an over-haul and transformation in every part of your life.

The Kingdom of Heaven is forcefully advancing, and those who are forceful in spirit will lay hold of it!

The Best Investment Strategy

I have been laying out my goals and dreams for 2012, and, as always, it has gotten my brain thinking soberly about my life. What am I investing my life into? 

I work in the financial world, so I often find myself comparing a personal concept to it's business counterpart.  When investing money we all know that the only smart purchase is one that will increase in value. But do we understand this when we are dealing with our time? Our lives? Our brains? Our relationships? Our energy? Our youth?

You see, some buy high and sell low. They spend everything they have on what everyone else is doing. The newest fashions, the top video games, the latest movies, the most popular concerts, the hottest TV shows, etc. They fill their brains up with useless information about things that don't really matter - worldiness and philosophies. Their greatest treasure is a good time. But, it comes down to this: when they look back 5 or 10 years from now will they find that they made a good investment with all that time, energy, and money? Will they regret decisions?

Others are careful. They weigh everything before they spend anything on it. The question they always ask is: how will this benefit me and everyone around me? If there is no benefit to be gained, they pass. They invest time into worthwhile endeavors. They spend their money on lasting purchases. They invest into true friendships. They pour energy into righteous causes. They use their brains to invent and create things that will benefit generations to come. Their youth is spent building firm foundations for the rest of their life. Their greatest treasure is instruction and a lesson learned. They invest with wisdom and reap real rewards.

"My son, if you receive my words, and treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures; THEN you will understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly; He guards the paths of justice, and preserves the way of His saints. Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul, discretion will preserve you; understanding will keep you." -Proverbs 2:1-11

And what will Wisdom and Understanding get you?

Proverbs 3 (read the chapter, these are all in there)

• Long life
• Peace
• Favor and high esteem with God and man
• Health and strength
• Happiness
• Life to your soul
• Grace to your neck
• Safety - walk without stumbling (how many of us would love to not make stupid mistakes?)
• Freedom from fear
• Sweet sleep
• The blessing of the Lord

But where is the adventure in that? Where is the fun?
You tell me.
Sure, there is a time and place for fun, and movies, and chilling with friends, and watching hilarious music videos on Youtube. But the real question is, 50 years from now, when you look back on your life, will it really matter if you beat all levels of that game. Or if you saw that artist in concert 15 times? Or if you watched every episode of that sitcom? Or that you saw that movie in 3D? Or originated that hilarious meme?

Is the real adventure, perhaps, to be found in using infinite materials to build something eternal?

Don't get me wrong, the preacher is preaching to herself on this one, too. On looking back on my last 25 years days, I find I have wasted plenty of precious time on silliness. And I realize it is time I will never have returned to me. But I also realize I have many years of time ahead of me to remedy my habits and start living like I'm part of something grand. I have time to gain wisdom, and with it, all the rewards of wisdom.

Time spent in the Bible and gaining wisdom will never be time wasted. Energy used to walk in understanding and advance the Kingdom of God is energy invested well. It will bring an eternal reward.

You only have this moment for this moment.
What are you going to spend it on?
Get to it!

The Beauty of Hard Times

Hardships.         We dread them. And yet, we cannot hope to become anything without them.  I think the Lord takes His beloved through hard times so that our message is always fresh...

You know what it is to be the one going through hard times and to see someone who is delighting in all the successes life can offer. Their sympathy can only feel like pity, their words tend to be hollow and empty of real comfort, and the contrast of their happiness makes our sorrow hard to bear. It is difficult for those in the valley to accept comfort from those on the mountaintop. It is hard for those on the mountaintop to remember what it was like to be in the valley, or to stop and ponder those still there. We are finite beings, so prone to become desensitized to the lessons of the past. So, the Lord, for the sake of our ability to minister to each other, allows us to reenter the valley every so often, lest we forget.  It is not punishment, it is a part of the maturing process. It is His mercy keeping us sharp and useful for His work.


You see, it is quite different for a sufferer to see one with them in the valley who, though suffering, overflows with joy and wisdom. Here is a counselor they can rely on. Here is a true friend in time of need. Here is one who can give a "word in season to the weary".  


In our affliction our comfort is softer and more merciful than if we never faced wounding, trial, or temptation. Our words are clearer. Our message rings truer. Our example is easily followed. Our humility in realizing our own weakness draws and will not repel. In our own dependence on God we tap into a power source that flows through us to all who come for help.


In my times of trial I have looked to other people who have faced and learned to rejoice through trials. People like Joseph and David in the Bible, or more modern heroes like Amy Carmichael and Elisabeth Elliot have become my own "mentors". Their stories, written in their suffering for my encouragement, have given me courage to endure. And they, in the middle of their trials, realized their purpose.


There is nothing more beautiful than watching one who, in their own suffering, overlooks their circumstance to reach a hand to another in need. This is the love of Christ. This will change the world.

He who looks into the perfect law...

"Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper."
-Psalm 1:1-3

The dictionary lists the definition of "conviction" as: the state of being convinced of error or compelled to admit the truth; a strong persuasion or belief. The Christian is to be a person of conviction.  We are to be fully aware and unwavering in our loyalty to truth (the Bible). In other words, we are to know what the Bible says about the issues of life well enough that we can spot error when confronted with it.


When God gave the Law to the Israelites He commanded them that:

"these words which I command you today shall be in your heart.You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
-Deuteronomy 6:6-9

God gave us His Word as a safe-guard against error that leads to death.  In His mercy, He carefully explained how we are to live so we can be sure of staying far from sin. In I Timothy Paul gives Timothy the instruction to:

Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.-I Timothy 4:12, 13, 16

All throughout the Bible there is instruction to believers to know doctrine, to be familiar with the Bible, to love the Law of God and to be careful to obey it. God gave us His answers, but it is up to us to search them out and obey them carefully.  It is to our benefit, and, really, for our safety that we search the Scripture to know how God thinks.


In speaking with many Christians, it is easy to see that many don't know what the Bible really has to say about the issues of life.  I have heard good God-fearing people discuss for hours the issues of drinking, divorce, homosexuality, etc. without one of them knowing what God has to say on the subject.  They ask friends' opinions or do internet searches but don't look into the answer book itself.


I think we tend to forget that in the end we will not stand before our friends, our culture, Christian authors, or even our pastors to give an account. We will, on the Day of Judgment, not be judged by a jury of peers, but by the Great Judge Himself.  In fact, Jesus said that we will be judged by the Word!

"He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him, the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."
-John 12:48

There are no surprises on the last day, we will be judged by what God wrote in Scripture for us to read and obey.  The only people who will be surprised are those who foolishly assumed they knew God, when they never took time to read the instructions He wrote for them. (see Matthew 7:21-27 for more information on this.)


I encourage you to become very familiar with the Bible and what answers it has to the questions of life. I can guarantee that it has an answer for anything and everything that you will have questions about.


One last thought:
God is unchanging, "there is no shadow of turning in Him". What He expects of us has not changed since the beginning of time. In your study of the Bible, do not let your view of "cultural issues" be shaped or molded by modern-day philosophies or humanistic mindsets. Let God's Word be your guide. If God loves something, love it with everything in you. If God hates it, hate it with every ounce of your being.  Be confident that, on Judgment Day, you can stand before God with a clear conscience knowing that you will hear "well done, good and faithful servant."

"But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."
-James 1:25