Men of Issachar

“From the tribe of Issachar, there were 200 leaders . . . all these men understood the temper of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take.” (1Chronicles 12:32).

This is an astonishing truth tucked away in one of the more obscure books of the Bible (at least for most Bible-readers). The Book of Chronicles, however, occupies a hugely important place in the history of the nation of Israel. Ezra, the reformer, compiled this book at the time when Israel was returning from 70 years of exile in foreign Babylonia to rebuild the foundations and walls of the ancient city of Jerusalem. Ezra compiled the Chronicles to assure that Israel would also rebuild the spiritual foundations of the nation as she was rebuilding the physical city.

God was giving Israel a second chance as a nation. The First Book of Chronicles outlines the spiritual heritage of the nation. It reconnects the returning exiles with the rich spiritual history of their nation prior to the exile in pagan Babylonia. In Babylonia the exiled Jews had no doubt come in contact with many pagan ideas. After 70 years they had intermarried. They had learned to accept odd and contrary customs. It would be as important to rebuild the spiritual foundations as it would to rebuild the physical city. A nation that does not know its history normally repeats its mistakes and neglects its strengths. This is certainly true of America. Our spiritual foundations have been nearly destroyed by revisionist historians. Like ancient Israel, we need to rebuild our spiritual foundations if we hope to rebuild our nation.

Into the mix of the spiritual life of Israel was the tribe of Issachar. Issachar was one of the twelve sons of Jacob becoming one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the context of the passage above, David is amassing those who pledged allegiance to him as the king of Israel. Each of the twelve tribes contributed men of varying skills. The men of Issachar contributed a very important skill – the ability to read the socio-political “temper” of the times and give direction to the nation.

Albert Barnes, the great Princeton theologian, points out that this skill was to be interpreted, “politically.” The men of Issachar were the politicians of Israel. More correctly, they were the political scientists, or analysts, of the day. The key is, they knew the best course for Israel because they had a keen understanding of the times.

Where are the “men of Issachar” in America, today? Such skilled thinkers seem few and far between in the church. Most pastors are more like Dr. Phil than New Gingrich. Most pastors and Christian leaders seek to meet people’s “felt” needs rather than their real needs. We have some very real needs in America today that are tied directly to the socio-political context we find ourselves in. It will not be our “felt” needs that destroy our nation, but our very “real” needs. We need skilled thinkers with good hearts.

I am not encouraged by the lack of political sophistication I hear in most conversations between church-goers. I wonder if they have any clue at all what the real issues are. The sophistication is no better among the general populace of non church-goers. What we desperately need are some leaders who will rise above the fluffy rhetoric and address the real issues – and give some real direction for our country. Such men – men of Issachar – were numbered among the leaders of ancient Israel. May we find such men numbered among God’s family today.

Consumer or Contributor?

"And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:44-45, NIV

Nothing seems to be more settled in the Life of Our Lord Jesus Christ than that He was a servant. Whether He was touching a leper, teaching a multitude or washing the feet of the disciples, Jesus served others. His life was about giving, not getting.

Nothing has become more clear to me of late than the fact that the lives of most church-goers do not reflect the example of Our Lord. For most, church is about what one can get, not what one can give. Most church-goers are consumers. The more the church can provide for people the consume the larger the congregation grows -- at least for a while. An encounter with a lady this week drove home this point to me.

We were renting a storage unit in anticipation that we may have to move in the near future and we wanted to start sorting through the "stuff" we have accumulated (consumed) over the years. Most of you know that story. This lady manages the storage center we were using. In the course of the conversation we shared our vision for starting house churches. We shared that we were preparing to make some changes to allow us to move forward with our vision. Apparently, she heard something different. She heard that we must be wandering Christians who were having a hard time finding a church. She invited us to visit her church.

She preceded to go through a rather lengthy list of services the church provided for people of all ages. I felt like she was reading to me from a menu expecting me to pick the items that were of interest to me. Not one word in this conversation indicated that she contributed anything TO the church, but consumed numerous services FROM the church. I found that this attitude is typical of persons attending traditional churches. In fact, this is the way discipleship is presented by the leadership of traditional churches.

In most traditional churches the staff's primary duty is plan services and opportunities for people to consume. Generally, the larger churches get a majority of religious consumers because they can offer a "better menu." Larger churches (350 plus) account for only about twenty percent of the total churches but they account for about 50 percent of the attendance in any given city. Just like people shop at the stores that provide the best services people attend churches that provide the best services. We live in a consumer-driven society and that includes churches as well as other products and services. People go for what they can get.

Jesus came for what He could give. That should be our model. However, it is much harder to attract people to church by explaining the "cost" of discipleship. It is a much harder sell to tell prospective church-goers that Jesus expects us to live sacrificially in service to our fellow man. True discipleship is about giving and going not coming and getting. True disciples ask what can I contribute, not what is there for me to consume.

Churches continue to feverishly plan and provide numerous spiritual products for people to consume. It becomes increasingly difficult to meet the needs of consumers and churches are beginning to feel the weight of this misguided approach to Christianity. The example of Our Lord calls us to be "contributors, not consumers" -- givers not getters.

All Or Nothing

"They claim to follow the Lord but then they worship Molech" (Zephaniah 1:5, NLT).

These words struck me as I spent time with the Lord today. Zephaniah points out a great deficiency in the lives of the ancient Israelites that still persists in God's people today -- hypocrisy. Many church-goers claim one thing and do another. Many speak devotion to God but live as if God is just one room in their many-roomed lives.

The world has rejected the church -- and rightly so -- for such hypocrisy. Tragically, the world has rejected God along with the church and that is a grave error. Such an error gurantees one will spend eternity in hell secluded forever from God.

To think that the church has a part in misleading the world through unsanctified living hurts my heart. To know I am personally a contributor to such an impression hurts even more. As God's representative on earth I have the power to point people to God and a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ; or, I have the power to obscure God by wearing a disguise of hypocrisy.

Today, God's Word pricked my heart. I must do better in seeing that my walk as a Christian matches my talk as a Christian to the best of my ability.

Blind No More

In my quiet time today I came across and old friend. I've known him since I was a young boy in Sunday School. His name is Bartimaeus. He is the blind beggar of Mark 10. I used to feel so sorry for poor, blind Bartimaeus.

This morning as I read his story I was struck by just how remarkable Bartimaeus was. It appears that his father was at least fairly well known -- every one knew the beggar was the son (Bar) of Timaeus. Yet, he would rather beg for a living than live off of his father; or, perhaps his father was dead. In any case, Bartimaeus was his own man even though poor and blind.

Crowds tried to deter him from bothering Jesus but Barimaeus would not be silenced by public opinion. I like what he did when they insisted he be quiet. The Word says that Bartimaeus cried, "all the more!" Bartimaeus knew what he wanted and he knew where he could get it and he was not going to let circumstances or naysayers keep him from it.

Baritmaeus meets Jesus and the result is: "Go your way; your faith has made you well."

How many people are blinded to what they can be because of negative circumstances or negative people? How many times do we miss an opportunity to have an encounter with God that sends us on our way whole and happy? Too many times would be my guess.

Perhaps your way has been darkened by circumstances that weigh heavy on your life. Perhaps you are challenged by too little finances or too feeble health. Perhaps you have a dream but others say it is only a foolish thought. Don't let negative circumstances or negative people blind you to the awesome possibilities that lie before you as you encounter the Living Christ.

Let Jesus touch your life and you will "go in faith; blind no more."