Am I Treating God Like a Jack-in-a-Box?

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character, expectations, Fasting, God didn't keep His end of the bargain, God didn't meet my expectations, God's character, managing expectations, prayer, trust, worship

The other day I heard a testimony that hit me to my core.

The visiting pastor at a church where I was also visiting explained how he is sometimes guilty of treating God like a Jack-in-a-Box.

Whoa.

That hit me right between the eyes.

He went on with his sermon, but I stayed right in that moment, right in the question of… “Do I treat God like a Jack-in-a-Box?”

Well, it really wasn’t a question. It was a knowing. I knew immediately that I often do treat God like a Jack-in-a Box.

I pack Him around and set Him in a situation. I wind the handle. Meaning, I pray. I quote Scripture to prove to Him I’m right. I pray some more…and some more…and sometimes a little more, but God doesn’t pop out when I think He should …and I get mad.

So, I change tactics. I try harder. I pray some more. I may even add fasting. I quote Him more Scripture. I use my essential oils. I check every box I can think of…winding, winding, and winding … waiting for God to pop out. Waiting for God to keep His end of a bargain I assume we had made.

The more I wind, the more frustrated I become. The more frantic I grow into being.

The more I wind, the more I expect God to pop out at my request.

The more I wind, the more uptight I become.

1 Kings 18:21-29 describes an amazing account where Elijah has a showdown with Baal worshippers. It’s really worth reading, but what I want you to see now is how the Baal worshippers tried to get Baal’s attention. Here’s what the book of Kings says, “So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice…”

I think this is what I must look like when I am winding the handle on my Jack-in-a Box god. I think I’m right, so I assume I will be able to prove it. I don’t actually cut myself, not on the outside anyway. But, on the inside? On the inside, I torture myself with what-ifs.

What if I had prayed more specifically for my kids as they were growing up? Are the choices they are making now my fault?

What if I had given 5 days a week to church work and not four, would I still have been the subject of gossip?

What if I had tried harder, accomplished more, dug a little deeper… would God have popped up as I expected?

This is what happens when I treat the God of the universe like a Jack-in–a–Box.

I go, go, go instead of being still and knowing that He is God. (Psalm 46:10)

I wind the handle and wind the handle and wind the handle as tears flow wondering how long I can keep this up.

Sounds like I’ve been worshipping an expectation instead of a Savior.

Sounds like I’ve been worshipping a box and not God.

Sounds like I need to breathe and stop winding the handle on the Jack-in-a Box…now.

So…where do I go from here?

How do I stop the obsession with the handle on that stupid contraption that has no place in my life?

First off, I set the box down and remember who God is… who He really is.

Psalm 18 says, “I love You, LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my mountain where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold… “

Secondly, I quit picking verses out of the Scriptures to suit my own agenda. I read until God places the Word He has for me deep in my soul.

Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words became a delight to me and the joy of my heart, for I am called by Your name, Yahweh God of Hosts.”

Third, I quit praying just to get needs met and instead pray simply to be close to Jesus. I pray in order to stay in close connection with my Best Friend. I remember it’s about relationship.

 Fourth, I fast only when I get a direct call from God to do so and not just for financial gain.

I choose to worship instead of wind the box.

I choose to leave the handle alone.

I choose the connection of the Vine (John 15) over the expectation of the pop up.

I’m taking my Jack-in-a Box to Goodwill and leaving it there.

Our God deserves to be worshipped for Who He is and not what we think He should be doing.

Our God deserves complete trust and faith in His plan and the timing of it.

Our God deserves to be adored and loved not accused of not keeping the end of a bargain He never made.

God is not a Jack-in-a Box who comes and goes at the whim of our attentions.

God is God.

He is faithful.

He is true.

He is perfect.

He is love.

He is Savior.

He is Lord.

Let’s worship Him and throw the Jack-in-a-Box in the trash where it belongs.

*image by depositphotos

http://www.seekinghearts.org www.seekinghearts.org

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So Over It…

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being free, being free in Christ, Christ set us free, freedom, getting free, I'm sick of this song, Jesus, living free, no more chains, no more shackles, staying free, still learning, worship

I admit it, when I saw the song list for Sunday I was disappointed. Most of the songs were right on (in my opinion) except the last one…the one I have sung over and over and over again. I remember thinking, “I am so over this song.” I’ve actually even written a blog about this song before. Ironic, huh?

So, what’s the song? Got you curious, haven’t I? Don’t gasp too loudly, but it’s “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”. I know, it’s a great song. It’s even brought traditional churches to tears, but I’ve just heard it one too many times…or, so I thought.

As I was practicing said song, God reminded me that I may know all the words, but I still wasn’t living chain free. He reminded me that I sometimes still wear shackles that He broke off of me many years ago. He knew I needed the reminder because He knew that I had replaced the freedom that His very Son gave me with panic, fear and dread this very week. He knew I was vulnerable to the Enemy’s attacks and that a few fiery darts had hit their mark. He knew I needed to be reminded that my chains truly are gone.

Galatians 5:1 teaches us that, “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.”

Why did Christ set me free? Was it so I could do good works? Was it because I’m this awesome person who deserves freedom? No. Christ set me free so that I could live in freedom. That’s it. That’s the only reason. His great love, His amazing grace, His mercy that is new every morning, just wants me to be free.

If I received a letter in my mailbox this week that my mortgage was paid off, how many more payments do you think I would make? You guessed it…none. I would be completely free from that debt. Christ is telling us in Galatians that our mortgage, our debt, is gone for all time, yet we find ourselves still making payments.

Spiritually speaking, I still think I need to make a payment to stay free. That’s kind of nuts, isn’t it? But, it’s often how I live. The chains that Christ broke off of me still entice me. My mind thinks it’s better to have a freak out than to rest in Him. My brain thinks watching Netflix will be better to fall asleep to than reading His Word and praying for others as I drift off into oblivion. My body thinks that depending on comfort food instead of drawing on His strength will somehow make things better.

At times, I’m still choosing shackles instead of freedom. I may be sick of the song, but the message still needs to be heard.

…”My chains are gone. I’ve been set free…”

So, as I sing this song that I’ve heard over and over again this Sunday, I pray that it truly is a testimony of my life…not just in that moment, but when I go home as well. I pray that I’m not thinking “When is this going to be over?”, but I will truly give God glory for setting me free. I pray that the next time you see me all you see are wrists that are shackle free, ankles that are unfettered and gratefulness oozing out of every pore for the One who sets us all free.

Seeking Hearts Ministries

** picture by Getty images

 

 

 

 

Manipulating God’s Hand

Tags

Elijah, false gods, manipulation, Mount Carmel, one true God, true worship, worship

Last Sunday night, our church discussed worship. What does true worship look like? How is it expressed? What brings true worship? As you can imagine, the discussion was quite diverse. I was reminded that oftentimes I have tried to manufacture worship, or rather a feeling of worship when in reality it is all about God and not a feeling. I Kings 18 reminds us of such a time.

I Kings 18:20 begins the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. This is what it says, “So Ahab summoned all the Israelites and gathered the prophets at Mount Carmel. Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If Yahweh is God, follow Him. But if Baal, follow him.” But the people didn’t answer him a word. Then Elijah said to the people, “I am the only remaining prophet of the LORD, but Baal’s prophets are 450 men. Let two bulls be given to us. They are to choose one bull for themselves, cut it in pieces, and place it on the wood but not light the fire. I will prepare the other bull and place it on the wood but not light the fire. Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the name of Yahweh. The God who answers with fire, He is God.” All the people answered, “That ⌊sounds⌋ good.” Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Since you are so numerous, choose for yourselves one bull and prepare it first. Then call on the name of your god but don’t light the fire.” So they took the bull that he gave them, prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, “Baal, answer us!” But there was no sound; no one answered. Then they danced, hobbling around the altar they had made. At noon Elijah mocked them. He said, “Shout loudly, for he’s a god! Maybe he’s thinking it over; maybe he has wandered away; or maybe he’s on the road. Perhaps he’s sleeping and will wake up!” They shouted loudly, and cut themselves with knives and spears, according to their custom, until blood gushed over them. All afternoon they kept on raving until the offering of the evening sacrifice, but there was no sound; no one answered, no one paid attention. Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near me.” So all the people approached him. Then he repaired the LORD’s altar that had been torn down: Elijah took 12 stones—according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the LORD had come, saying, “Israel will be your name”—
and he built an altar with the stones in the name of Yahweh. Then he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold about four gallons. Next, he arranged the wood, cut up the bull, and placed it on the wood. He said, “Fill four water pots with water and pour it on the offering to be burned and on the wood.” Then he said, “A second time!” and they did it a second time. And then he said, “A third time!” and they did it a third time. So the water ran all around the altar; he even filled the trench with water. At the time for offering the ⌊evening⌋ sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached ⌊the altar⌋ and said, “Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things. Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people will know that You, Yahweh, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.” Then Yahweh’s fire fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. When all the people saw it, they fell facedown and said, “Yahweh, He is God! Yahweh, He is God!”

What really struck me about this passage was the way in which the people were trying to get Baal’s attention. They were shouting, leaping and even cutting themselves to make him act. We know that Baal could never act due to the fact that he was not alive, but it did put into perspective for me how often I have tried to manipulate the hand of God as they tried to manipulate the hand of Baal.

How often have I wanted our church service to feel a certain way, or look like a particular worship pattern, or wanted God to disguise the fact that things are not as they should be so that visitors would not catch on? How often have I checked the boxes that I feel make a good worship service only to then sit back expecting God to act exactly as I pictured? How often have I gone home from a service disappointed in God because He did not keep His end of my expected bargain? How many times have I tried to manipulate the God of the universe?

Watchman Nee said in his book “Sit, Walk, Stand”, “Too often we think that the actual doing is what matters. We have to learn the lesson of not doing- of keeping quiet for Him. We have to learn that if God does not move, we dare not move…The abiding principle of all true Christian work is, ‘In the beginning God…’”

I must ask myself, “Do I want the feeling of worship, or do I really want to wait for true worship?” Think about it, do we want false worship where we just feel close to God, or do we want to wait for the mercy drops of His Spirit coming and reigning over not just a service, but our entire life?

Pastor Nee reminds me that instead of checking my boxes, I need to be listening to God’s voice. What does He want me to do? Rest in Him? Repent for the people? Be still and know that He is God? Encourage the brethren? Pray over the sanctuary? I must listen to know. I am not listening to induce a false feeling of worship, or to manipulate a certain behavior from God. I am listening so that I am as close to God as I can possibly be. Not to feel, or look a certain way, but to simply be in His presence which will naturally prompt worship. I must be like the maiden in Psalm 132:2 that looks to the hand of her mistress. I too must be on the alert for God’s hand to move.

In the above passage, Elijah simply heard what God wanted Him to do. When he heard clearly, he obeyed. What do we find in the passage as a result? Spontaneous worship. The Scripture tells us that the people who had been leaping to gain a false god’s attention, now said, “The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God.”

We must realize that any true worship is prompted by the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Any worship that is not of ourselves, is only of Him. We must not be so intent on checking boxes, but instead faithfully looking to Him for His directives knowing that when we are about our Father’s business, true worship exudes from us and prompts others to do the same. Then, as one body, we can say,“The Lord, He is God. The Lord, He is God.”

O, Lord, may false worship be removed from our sanctuaries so there is room for the one, true and living God.

Please visit the ministry site at : Seeking Hearts Ministries

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A Tottering Idol

Tags

creation, Creator, gold, holiness, idols, rock, silver, stability, tottering, true hope, wood, worship

      A Tottering Idol

  – Isaiah 40:18-20, “To whom then will you liken God? Or what likeness will you compare with Him? As for the idol, a craftsman casts it, a goldsmith plates it with gold, and a silversmith fashions chains of silver. He who is too impoverished for such an offering selects a tree that does not rot; He seeks out for himself a skilled craftsman to prepare an idol that will not totter.” 

  In the blog “Even Though…” from a few weeks back, we discussed how the children of Israel worshiped a golden calf while eating the provision of God (manna). Although we did not discuss the fact that the Israelite people gave the gold of their earrings to be used for the idol, we read it. The provision that God had given them when they left Egypt, they threw away on an idol they asked Aaron to fashion for them. God had given them a savings account to buy whatever they needed in The Promised Land and they blew it in servitude to something that only God Himself could provide.

  Every idol we choose to serve takes God’s provision from us as opposed to serving God Who continually gives back to us. Have you ever heard the phrase “you can’t out give God”? It’s true. But, an idol will take everything you have… and then some.

  In Isaiah 40, the Lord tells His people that the gold and silver that He provided is nothing compared to Him. They molded the provision of the Lord into objects of worship and ignored the “real deal” of God Himself. Even those who could not afford gold, silver or another precious medal, went out to the woods and gathered pieces of trees to give to a skilled craftsman. He then fashioned it into an object that “would not totter” for them to worship.

  Once again, we see people taking from the provision of God and shaping it into objects of worship that were never intended. We have to remind ourselves to thank God for His provision, but also to thank Him for His character. We have to make sure that we want God Himself and not what He can do for us. He is not a genie in a bottle. He is God Almighty, worthy of ALL praise.

    Isaiah 40, verse 20 says that wood was fashioned into an idol that would “not totter”. An object that “does not totter” would take skill, would it not? What would you prop it up with? At first, I’m sure the wood itself would be stable enough to withstand the elements. A little wind, a little rain…no problem. But, as time wore on and the rains kept coming, what could be used to prop up the idol then? Would it take a few more pieces of wood? Would a few nails have to be driven into a more sound structure? Would you cunningly place flowers all around to hide the props? After all, what would your family and friends think if the item you worship is falling to the ground?

  If the job God gave me is my idol, but I have been demoted, how would I prop it up? How would I spin the situation so that others would not notice that the object of my worship is now face down on the ground? How would I trick people into thinking that my job was still giving me the fulfillment that I claimed?

  If the ministry God entrusted me with is my idol, but God’s Holy Spirit is not evident, do I create emotionalism to prop it up?

  If my spouse is my idol, but my marriage is falling apart, how can I hide it? Do I get the help I need, or cover it in flowers?

 Propping up human idols is hard work, work that God never intended for us to bother with. His burden is easy and His load is light (Matthew 11). When we worship the one true God we do not have to make excuses. He does not totter. Verse 25 and 26 of Isaiah 40 says, “‘To whom then will you liken Me that I should be his equal?’ says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes and see who has created these…” God will not allow our idols to continue. They will topple, whether they are fashioned from gold, silver, or wood. The only true Source of strength is Jesus. The only thing worthy of our worship is our Holy God.

  There will always be rain and there will always be things in our lives that cause instability. Matthew 5 tells us that it rains on the righteous and the unrighteous. But, when we are worshiping the one true God, we become stable because He is stable. Matthew 7:24-25 says, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it DID NOT FALL, for it had been founded upon the rock.” We are secure because He is our security.

  God loves us too much to allow us to worship things other than Him, things that were intended for blessing, not worship. Are we made to worship? Yes! Let’s just be sure we are worshiping the Creator and not the creation.

A performance

Tags

dream, entertainment, holiness, performance, Temple, worship

 

 

 

–A Performance–

   A few nights ago I had a dream. It started off innocently enough. My family and I were at church with all the usual suspects and we were celebrating. A few individuals had accomplished something within the community so, the church was very crowded with family and friends; some I had seen before and some I had not (you know how dreams are). People were laughing and happy and focused on celebrating what these individuals had accomplished. We were all so pleased and proud. Smiling faces were everywhere.

  As the dream went on, the production kept growing. There were a few songs with the platform crowded with people singing. Then, it grew into song after song and story after story. People were walking around, laughing and joking having a very pleasurable time. The church was packed everywhere I went. People were standing around the pews, crowded in the back area. Everywhere there was a spot, there was a person. The hallways were even teeming with people.

  In my dream as I walked from the back of the church into the auditorium, I heard a prominent figure tell a bawdy joke about someone. I remember at that point I said out loud, “You are kidding me, right?” I began to grow really angry. I felt my body begin to shake with rage. But, the people thought I was part of the act and kept laughing. The entertainment kept growing and growing until there were literally feathers and costumes and a huge production of something related to Star Wars. I was asked by one individual if I wanted to join in and I said, “No”.

  He said, “Oh, you’re not a Star Wars fan?”

  I replied, “I am, just not on a Sunday morning.”

  I remember walking around getting angrier and angrier. ‘How could this have been allowed on a Sunday morning?’ I thought, ‘Aren’t we here to worship the Lord’? I was still literally shaking with anger. I could not believe we were doing this! How could this have happened? When were things allowed to get out of hand? I kept searching for the pastor, the deacons…anyone who could explain the chaos to me. I just could not believe that we had allowed this to happen. How had things gotten so out of control?

  It was all so bizarre! I woke up and thought, “What in the world was that about?” I laid there in bed remembering all the craziness and began to ask God very timidly, “Is that how You see our services? Are we just performing things? Are we there only for our own entertainment? Are You shaking in anger as you look at us each week?”

  I was reminded of Jesus in the Temple in Mark 11. The Word tells us that Jesus drove out those who were not there to worship. When He saw the mockery of His Temple, the place where true worship was supposed to occur, the Scriptures tell us that He cleaned out the thievery and the hypocrisy. The Temple must have seemed like a production to Him, a sideshow, (there were definitely feathers).   

  Is this what Jesus wants to do in our church? Does He want to teach us what entertainment versus worship is? Is He asking our spirits each week, ‘How did you let it get like this?’ Is He angry with what we call worship?

  Oh, I am convicted. I am convicted and frustrated with myself for letting my focus be on things other than my Lord each Sunday. I sometimes go into a service with the best of intentions, but then I focus on announcements or, a word that was said in the hallway or, any other distraction. By the time I am called to corporate worship, I am looking for how it is affecting me, not my Lord.

  I think of the soldiers at the foot of the Cross gambling for Jesus’ cloak. In the shadow of the greatest sacrifice of all time, their focus was on what they could get out of it. They were fighting and grasping for how they could reap some kind of benefit. They had no clue that the true reward was within their grasp. They were on their knees, but they were on their knees in the wrong direction!

  Am I? Am I on my knees, but still worshiping the wrong thing?

  The soldiers focus was on the wrong thing, so they missed the greatest thing.

  Each week, do I lose the thrill of worshiping my Savior because I have allowed the entertainment of the day to crowd in?

  God tells me in I Peter to “Be ye holy as I am holy”, but my only thoughts are often of me. I agree with Paul in Romans 7, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?”

 The encouraging thing about Mark 11 and Romans 7 is that there is hope. Mark 11 does show us that in one swipe of Jesus’ hand, things can be put back to the way that God would have them to be. With one entrance of our holy God, the Temple was on good ground was again. It was cleaned through and through, at least for a time. The passage in Romans 7 also goes on to tell us that through Jesus we can be set free.

  So, why do I let the shackles still rub my skin raw? Why do I continue to crave entertainment instead of worship?

  Oh, I need the hand of God! I need Him to sweep through my home, my church and my very being to make me into the clean vessel that I am called to be, a vessel that craves the One, True God and not a cheap imitation for entertainment.

  Now there was also another part of my dream that was convicting… the crowd. People were everywhere! The more entertainment I saw, the happier the crowd became.

  Will our church have crowds like that when Jesus turns us from our entertainment to Himself? Somehow I doubt it (at least in the beginning). Will the people around me be okay if after the sweep of God, we aren’t as “entertained”? What if our corporate worship is truly about God and not about us? Are we okay with that? Will I truly be satisfied when the focus is off of self and onto God?

 Being holy as God is holy will require leaving the entertainment behind. Am I willing to do that? If God truly sees a performance instead of worship, what am I willing to do about it? Am I going to let things go on as they are so that people will leave happy and impressed or, am I willing to do the hard thing and pray UNTIL there is a mighty move of God to whatever direction he has for us? Do I want God or, my entertainment?     

  These were not easy thoughts to wake up to that morning. This crazy dream has caused me to really look at our church and the unnecessary things that go on to make us comfortable. There is way too much entertainment and not enough focus on our Lord. But, am I going to start a riot? No. I am called to pray and when God decides the timing is right He will come with a riot of His own. He loves us too much to allow the entertainment to continue. He loves us too much to not call us to His side in tender rebuke. He loves us too much to allow us to gamble in the shadow of true Redemption. He loves us too much to be entertained.