“And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.” Genesis 42:8

“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.” 2 Corinthians 4:4

One of my favorite men from the Bible is Joseph. His years with his brothers, their rejection of him, his ascent to the throne, and his eventual forgiveness of his brothers is a wonderful story that closely parallels Christ’s time on the earth. When Joseph became ruler over Egypt, his name was changed, and his identity and appearance was so altered that when his ten brothers arrived in Egypt they had no idea that the prime minister sitting before them was the same brother that they had abandoned in the desert years earlier.

Joseph’s rejection and forgiving heart to those who hurt him would be revisited again centuries later in the person of Christ. Like Joseph the rejection of Jesus resulted in His becoming a savior to a world in need. Joseph met the physical needs of a dying world and Christ met the spiritual needs of a dying world. Christ was so different from the king that the people expected that he became virtually unrecognizable to His own people. Just like Joseph’s brothers who stood before Joseph without recognizing him, Christ stood before his “family” and they knew him not.

In 2007 journalist Gene Weingarten wrote a story that won him a Pulitzer Prize.  On January 12 of that year he went to the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station and chronicled what he saw there.  A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin and played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, it was calculated that 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.

Few slowed as they passed by and fewer tossed in a tip as they walked by.  In fact, children were the only ones who tried to stop and listen, but they were all summarily dragged away by their parents who were hurrying off to their destinations.  In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell had played to a sold out crowd in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each. Weingarten reported that the violinist himself, usually accustomed to the highest of praise and applause for his efforts, admitted that this little social experiment, to which he readily agreed, was not all together comfortable for him.

This is an example of how easy it is to overlook greatness when it appears in an unexpected place. Jesus was born in an indescript village, in an inglorious way, to seemingly unqualified parents. Who would look for greatness in such a situation. Joseph, the outcast brother, was sitting on a throne, overseeing a kingdom, saving a nation.  These stories were not too dissimilar to the story of Joshua Bell that was not recognized as a maestro because his setting was unusual. Hundreds were blind to his greatness because their daily activities overshadowed what he had to offer.

Many pass by Jesus without recognizing what he has to offer because they are hurrying through their lives, caught up in the hecticness of it all.  It is not much different that the prophecies that spoke of his coming reception by the prophet Isaiah.  “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (Isaiah 53:1-3).

Today we are surrounded by those who do not recognize Jesus. Jesus, like Joseph, has the keys to the future. Joseph would provide bread to his brothers during a famine and Christ can be the bread of life to those who are in spiritual famine. Jesus, like Joseph, sits ready to forgive, to extend mercy and accept those who have previously rejected Him. Jesus and Joseph both desired mercy over justice, both were willing to give the good things that are not deserved to those who do not deserve them. Both Jesus and Joseph found themselves in a position to turn their backs on those who had hurt them, but instead both reached out to meet the needs of their “enemies.”

On November 30, 1991 fierce winds from a freakish dust storm triggered a massive freeway pileup along Interstate 5 near Coalinga, California. At least 14 people died and dozens more were injured as topsoil whipped by 50 mile-per-hour winds reduced visibility to zero. The afternoon disaster left a three-mile trail of twisted and burning vehicles, some stacked on top of one another 100 yards off the side of the freeway. Unable to see their way, dozens of motorists drove blindly ahead into disaster.  Like these drivers we have people around us who do not know where to turn.  They cannot slow, speed-up or turn without meeting disaster.  But there is one refuge, and that is in Christ.  He is the safe place if we can just look to Him.

We are surrounded by so many who need to know the Christ who sits on the right hand of God mediating for those who love Him. Let us point a blind world to the Light of the world.  Let us live lives as people of sight, so that we can lead others to Him. Let us do all we can to reveal Jesus to the entire world. Let us stop to hear the music of the maestro who orchestrates life, so others will stop as well.  Every time Jesus is truly revealed, another one of “Joseph’s brothers” can weep with joy, gratitude and amazement, that the humble Suffering Servant who they rejected has forgiven them and is now their great and glorious King!

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2).

(This devotion is continued from last week’s, so you may want to read it first if you have not.)

There is a saying that states, “Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be, since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” There is a positive selfishness that needs to take place in our relationship with Christ. In all cases but one we should put others first. However, in our Christian walk we should not be examining the walk of others before our own. It was once said that a sermon is the “wise words of God for the fellow sitting next to me.” Before we make complaints about those around us who do not live a godly life, we should look within ourselves to see if we are living the lives we should be living.

I sympathize with Roger from our “unconversion” story of last week. He is right to say there are many people who profess Christ but do not illustrate Christ. However, he is wrong when he says that there are no people who illustrate Christ in their lives. The Christ transformation should not be just barely noticeable, but striking. Do the adjectives godly, loving, kind, and generous jump the forefront of people’s minds when they try to describe us? Do the words “very spiritual” find their way into the conversation on our behalf? They probably should… we are in league with the Creator of the universe. He desires a personal relationship with us.  There is no other relationship like it. We should live lives that reflect that incredible uniqueness.

In 1987 George Gallup, famous pollster, found the following: “There’s little difference in ethical behavior between the churched and the unchurched. There’s as much pilferage and dishonesty among the churched as the unchurched. And I’m afraid that applies pretty much across the board: religion, per se, is not really life changing. People cite it as important, for instance, in overcoming depression–but it doesn’t have primacy in determining behavior.”

This sad conclusion is probably even worse now. In essence, what Gallup’s findings show is that the churched are as unethical as unchurched, but seem to feel less stressed about it. It is not only our feelings that should change when we are indwelled by Christ, but also our behavior. After all, it is our behavior that others see, not our feelings.

There was once a man who went into therapy because he would just walk up to people and hit them for no reason and feel terrible about it. After a few weeks with the therapist someone ask the man if the treatment was working and he enthusiastically replied yes.

“Oh, so you don’t hit people anymore?”

“Oh, no, the man replied. I still hit them, but I don’t feel bad about it anymore.

Unfortunately, that may be the attitude of many Christians. They continue their bad behavior but through the therapy of the church they accept it more. Church therapy gives them a change that is not realized in their behavior. That kind of artificial change in behavior was why Roger did not see enough differences in Christians and the world to keep him in the faith.

Of course, the differences Roger should have really looked for should have been inside himself, not others. Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that people’s views of other Christians will influence the views they have of Christ. Our verse in Romans gives instruction on how our lives can and should change after we are filled with the Holy Spirit. Conforming means to take on the appearance of another and transforming is an inside change that is not dependent on surroundings.Only when indwelled with the Holy Spirit can we discern “the good, acceptable, perfect will of God.” That is how transformation takes place. If we accept Christ but live our lives separate from Him, we will not look like Him and Roger’s criticisms of the Christian faith will seem valid. Anyone can be conformed to this world, but only a Christian can be truly transformed.

I have witnessed transformed lives and have read hundreds of stories of those who have testimonies of God’s life-changing powers in their lives. On the flip side, I have also heard horror stories of people who purport to have Christ and live like the devil. How can it be that in some parts of this world there are Christians on their knees receiving the sword because they will not deny Jesus, and in other parts of the world there are Christians who avoid any behavior associated with Him. The Apostle Paul tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” Why should we live like an old dying creature when we have become a new living one? Let us live lives that will not hinder the spread of the gospel.

I grew up in the sixties when being a radical was an honorable pursuit to many. That kind of radicalism had ends that were very debatable, but we could use some radicals today. We need those who will radically display the transformation that Christ can make in people’s lives. Raymond Williams, who was a writer-thinker and certainly not spiritual once said, “To be truly radical is to make hope possible rather than despair convincing.” Without him realizing it, he spoke to the Christian experience.

We live in a world that is permeated with despair. Christ gives hope and our portrayal of that hope is instrumental in its spread. Today as we go through our day, we might ask ourselves, “Do my actions coincide with my position? Do people want what I have or do they see me and continue their search somewhere else?” No one will confuse the butterfly with the caterpillar from which it came. No one should confuse our new life with the old one from which we came. John said it best, “whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” (1 John 2:6) Let’s watch our walk today.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2)

Recently I listened to an “unconversion” story. A man, whose name is Roger, accepted (or felt he did) Christ when he was 16, married a woman who was a Christian (or felt she was) when in their 20’s, got involved in the church, went through some marital problems, rejected their faith, and became atheists. It was a sad story, but one I am sure happens with some frequency and for the same reasons that Roger mentioned as he told his story.

I would say that it boiled down to two main reasons for him. The main reason was that he had never met anyone who seemed to live as though he or she had a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe. Secondly, he just could not reconcile the idea of a loving God and the violence that exists in the world and in the Bible. Both are common objections, but today I would like to share some thoughts on the first. The second will come up unexpectedly in a future devotion, I am sure.

The Apostle Paul left us the admonition in Romans 12:2 and it leaves little doubt that our lives should change once we are filled with the Holy Spirit. In Roger’s “unconversion” story  said that he had never met a “transformed” Christian.  He believed that there were good Christians and bad Christians, good atheists and bad atheists, and a whole bunch of good and bad people in between. He said he had never seen a Christian who lived like he or she had a personal relationship with the great God of the Bible. He had never seen “miracles” that could not be naturally explained or seen lives that were radically different because of a spiritual relationship with Christ. Even though he had spent almost 30 years in the church, he had always had his doubts and finally gave up on ever finding convincing evidence that Christianity had any advantages over any other life choice.

It was sad to listen to him. It was sad for him because so much of what he experienced was not my experiences in the church.  But I was also sad because at times I understood what he was saying.  If, as Christians, we do have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe, our lives should be radically different, not only from what they used to be before we knew Christ, but from the rest of the world. Too often- they are not. When the Apostle Paul addressed the Christians in Rome he was encouraging them to not only act different but to be different. Conforming and transforming are totally different concepts and until we, as believers, get a hold of this principle of a Christ-filled life, many more will leave the faith for lack of evidence in individuals who call themselves Christians.

On the CRU site (formerly Campus Crusade) there is a wonderful page of testimonies (http://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/my-story-a-life-changed.html) from people who have had their lives changed by Christ. Some of the stories are incredibly moving and others very dramatic, but all tell of lives left behind in exchange for new ones. The Roger in our story would say that he doesn’t deny that some people change, but that the same things happen in all kinds of religions, clubs, and groups. He believes that Christianity doesn’t have a corner on the “changed life” market. His belief is that if someone is changed by Christ and someone is changed by being in the Lion’s Club there should be a difference between the two. One involves the great Creator and the other involves a bunch of guys that do good deeds for needy children. Yet, he says, being involved in groups seems to be as an effective life changer as being a Christian. He is right- in part.

There was once a man who had a very important meeting and needed some last minute cleaning done with his suit.  He went to a store that said, “One-Hour Dry Cleaners.”

“I need this in an hour,” he told the clerk.

She said, “I can’t get this back to you until Thursday.”

“I thought you did dry cleaning in an hour?”

“No,” she replied, “That’s just the name of the store.”

Too often “Christian” is just a name to believers, not a way of life.   They might wear the signs of Christianity: crosses, gospel hats, Bible verse t-shirts, but once you step inside their lives you find out that these are signs only. Not reality. Midway through the book of Acts believers took on the name Christian so they might be identified with the one they identified with.

Alexander the Great, one of the greatest military generals who ever lived, conquered almost the entire known world with his vast army. One night during a campaign, he couldn’t sleep and left his tent to walk around the campgrounds. As he was walking he came across a soldier asleep on guard duty – a serious offense. The penalty for falling asleep on guard duty was, in some cases, instant death; the commanding officer sometimes poured kerosene on the sleeping soldier and lit it.

The soldier began to wake up as Alexander the Great approached him. Recognizing who was standing in front of him, the young man feared for his life. “Do you know what the penalty is for falling asleep on guard duty?” Alexander the Great asked the soldier.

“Yes, sir,” the soldier responded in a quivering voice.

“Soldier, what’s your name?” demanded Alexander the Great.

“Alexander, sir.”

Alexander the Great repeated the question: “What is your name?”

“My name is Alexander, sir,” the soldier repeated.

A third time and more loudly Alexander the Great asked, “What is your name?”

A third time the soldier meekly said, “My name is Alexander, sir.”

Alexander the Great then looked the young soldier straight in the eye. “Soldier,” he said with intensity, “either change your behavior or change your name.”

We are Christians and there may be times that God is calling us to change our behavior or change our names.  If our behavior leads men like Roger to flee the faith, we should reconsider what our behavior is.

There should be a difference between Christians and the rest of the world. I disagree, however, that no one lives that transformed life. I know many people who illustrate a renewed life, but Roger is right- it is not as typical as it should be.

Next week we will continue our discussion of Roger’s “unconversion” and how we can live lives that point others to Christ rather than to the world.  Stay tuned!

“Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.” 1 Timothy 1:17

1 Timothy 1:17 gives us several important reasons why we should worship God.  In a world that wants to worship everything but God, we can thank Paul that he gave us some very concise reasons why there is only one worth worshipping in our universe.  No other small “g” gods can match the attributes of our big “G” God because all others are fake gods.  There was a toy years ago which was call a Build-a-Bear.  This small stuffed animal could be built to be anything. If a young Child wanted a grandfatherly bear, he could get one with glasses, whiskers, and a cane.  If a child wanted a policeman bear, he could get one with a uniform, hat, and billy club.  Any kind of bear someone wanted he could get.  Well, today many ascribe to a Build-a-God model.  Do you see God as a kind teetering old man that gives you whatever you want.  Maybe you see God as the enforcer wielding his billy club at a moments notice to keep you in line.  In this day and age we tend not to worship God for what He is, but what we want him to be.  So the question today is not so much how we should worship God but why.

We should worship God, first of all, because he is the King Eternal. He always has been and always will be the sovereign King of the universe. He has never relinquished His throne and will never relinquish His throne. He is the King over America and the is King over the rest of the world. He is not only the King of this century, but he was King in every century proceeding. He has been King and will be King throughout eternity. He truly is the King eternal.

We should worship God, secondly, because he is the King Immortal. Paul uses the same Greek word here as Peter uses to describe our “incorruptible” inheritance in heaven (1 Peter 1:4). As we look around us everything we see is degrading. The planet is degrading, our bodies are degrading (boy, do I know it), and the whole universe is degrading. Not only will God last forever, but he will never decay or diminish even one little bit. He remains unchanged throughout all time. He is imperishable in his essence and in his existence, in his character and in his longevity.

Thirdly, We should worship God because he is the King Invisible. There is a story about a father who asked his son what he was drawing. Without looking up the boy said, “God.”

His father smiled and responded, “But nobody knows what God looks like.”

His son kept coloring and said, “They will in a minute.” We don’t know what God looks like, but why should invisibility be an attribute that leads to worship? As humans we often equate realness with what we can see or touch, but we know we cannot touch feelings, yet we know they exist. How much more wonderful it is to have a Person of the godhead who is not restricted in movement or time. Contrary to what our senses tell us, God is more real than anything that we can see or touch because his existence is not limited in any way. We are told in the Word that we cannot gaze upon God’s glory because He is impossible to look at. If we were to look upon Him, we would die. We can thank God that He is invisible to us so that we can enjoy His glory without danger.

Finally, we should worship God because he is the only God All-knowing. We can create a god of our own, but if we do so, we will create a god that we can understand. When we create a god, we then are above the god we have created. That’s why so many create their own gods because they can handcraft them to be what they want them to be. The one true God has not been crafted by our own invention. Every god other than the God of the Bible is contrived and allows (or more rightly makes) man try to reach him. Man wants to create gods because he likes to think he is able to do something to “reach” God. But that is impossible. For one, it is impossible to reach a non-existent god, and  two, it is impossible to reach, on our own, the true God of the universe. Our God is the only one who has reached down to us, through His Son, and He loved us enough to freely give us a relationship with Him. He is the all-wise God and all true wisdom comes from him, and so all true praise should go to him.

We should not try to craft God into what we want him to be. When we do that, we are trying to change a God who cannot be changed, so we are in essence creating a new non-existent god. A god like that has none of the attributes we see in the above verse in 1 Timothy because he exists no where but in our own minds. If we worship that god, we are in essence worshipping ourselves. Choosing between worshipping ourselves and worshipping the one true and mighty creator of the universe is, as they say, a “no-brainer.”

“The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord.”  Isaiah 29:19

Meekness is not a momentary decision, but a way of life. It is an intentional daily decision to set our own desires aside and rely on the power of the Holy Spirit within us.  Someone has described biblical meekness as “putting the bit in your own mouth and handing the reigns over to God.” It is an humble attention to and acceptance of the will of God. 

Meekness is not making ourselves part of the Doormat Club.  J. Upton Dickson was a fun-loving fellow who founded a group for submissive people.  It was called the DOORMATS. That stood for “Dependent Organization Of Really Meek And Timid Souls – if there are no objections.”  Their motto was: “The meek shall inherit the earth – if that’s okay with everybody.”  Their symbol was the yellow traffic light! Although this was a tongue-in-cheek mythical club, it shows the way that many people view meekness.

Meekness is often mistaken for weakness, but those two things are much different.  Where weakness is a lack of strength, meekness actually a show of great strength under God’s control.  Meekness without God might very well be weakness, but in God’s hands it is powerful beyond understanding.  Cultures have been often influenced by the meekness of great men and women. Hearts have been changed.  Circumstances have been controlled. Pain has been alleviated.  Meekness in the eyes of the wise will never be seen as anything less than what it is- it is inner strength that leads to gentleness. 

The strongest man to ever walk this earth was Christ, yet His absolute trust in God resulted in the greatest sacrifice anyone has ever given. Meekness is a balm that heals when revenge cannot.  Our flesh will seek our own desires, but the meek will seek the desires of others.  Meekness is great faith, great commitment, and great determination to follow in the steps of Christ. 

Christ did not weakly go to the cross. His trip to the cross was the most courageous act of all time. But He faced it accepting the will of the Father. We too, are required on a daily basis to live a meek life before God.  When God requires sacrifice, meekness trusts completely and gives willingly.  When God demands obedience, meekness ignores selfish desires, crucifies personal ambition, and performs joyfully the good will of God.  When God demands forgiveness we forego our desire to satisfy our deep desires for vengeance.  When we desire to do what would please us, meekness allows us to do what is pleasing to God.

A young Christian from Africa had the opportunity to attend a Christian college and was being shown around the campus by the college president.  When the president asked him where he would like to live, the young man replied, “If there is a room that no one wants, give that room to me.”  That touched the president deeply because after years of showing prospective students around campus, that is the first time he had ever heard those words.  Everyone knows that our treatment of others can be the big bridge between the gospel of Christ and a lost world. 

Our heartfelt actions that put others first are powerful examples of who Christ is and what He can do in our lives.   How would it effect those who don’t know God to hear from those who do know God things like, “If there is a job that no one wants to do, I’ll do that job,” or “If there’s a kid that no one wants to eat lunch with, I’ll eat with him,’” or “If there’s a parking space that’s further out, I’ll park in that space,” or  “If someone needs to stay late to clean-up, I will stay,” or “If there is not enough room, I can just take the next bus.” 

In essence, we are telling the world without bragging or expecting anything back, “If there’s a sacrifice someone needs to make, I’ll make that sacrifice.”  God knows that the joy of the meek will continually increase. Meekness can nourish rather than deplete.  The meek can find comfort in personal circumstances that the weak cannot.  The meek’s happiness is not derived from fleeting popularity; their fulfillment does not come from public success; their pleasure is not obtained in vengeance or revenge. 

The meek know when to advance and when to step back. The meek will stand strong when they should and not just when it feels good. There’s a scene in the movie Gladiator where the Emperor of Rome, Marcus Aurelius, asks Maximus to be his successor instead of his power-hungry son.  When asked if he would accept this great honor, Maximus says, apologetically, “With all my heart, no.”

“Maximus,” the emperor replies, “that is why it must be you!” Maximus’ humble rejection of power made him the right man for the job. 

The greatest leaders are those who do not seek personal power, but seek to put those around them ahead of them.  Some psychologists think that “power poses” can give us confidence and energy.  When we stand up tall with our chest out and feet spread it is a show of great strength (think of superman) to those around us.  Ironically, one of the most recent well-known poses carried more power than the super hero stance that psychologists talk about.  Tim Tebow affected more people with a pose on bended knee than anyone could with a puffed out chest.  It is not how we stand that sends a message, it is how we live. 

Anyone can stand in a way that conveys a picture of power, but only a few can live in a way that illustrates real power.  God calls us to  “Humble (ourselves), therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift (us) up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). Meekness allows us to step aside and to remember that “(we) can do everything through Christ, who gives (us) strength” (Philippians 4:13). 

President Lincoln, a strongly spiritual man, was ridiculed quite often for his appearance, but he took it in stride. Once when he heard that an opponent was calling him “two-faced” Lincoln replied, “if I had two faces, would I be wearing this one!” One of his staunchest opponents was Edwin Stanton, who often referred to Lincoln as a gorilla.  After Lincoln was elected he selected Stanton as Secretary of War over the protests of many.  Lincoln, however, understood Stanton’s brilliant mind and would not allow Stanton’s previous insults to stand in the way of appointing the best man to the job. 

Lincoln had a host of “enemies” that he placed in positions of responsibility because they were the men necessary for the times.  Lincoln did not let petty grudges keep him from doing what was best for the country. That kind of meekness is why Lincoln is considered one of our greatest presidents.

The meek find their joy in The Lord- their trust of The Lord.  As the meek trust God more, the more they have of Him, the more they have of Him, the more they know of Him, the more they know of Him, the more their joy is increased, and the more their joy is increased, the more they understand the difference between weakness and meekness- the more they understand how to be strong but not wrong.

Without Christ we will always be confused about what meekness truly is. Without Christ we will constantly be guessing what to do in any given situation. It is thought by many that meekness robs us of nobility, but I would say that it is the very essence of nobility. Nothing more noble has ever been done than Christ’s humble sacrifice on the cross. Nothing has taken more strength. 

God did not say the weak would inherit the earth, but He did make another promise. 

I think we all know what that was.  Be meek this week.