Don't be Fooled

In perhaps one of the most epic April Fool’s hoaxes of the modern day, thousands of Brits were duped into believing that Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti harvest. During the April 1, 1957 edition of the BBC’s news show Panorama, the revered and trusted anchor, Richard Dimbleby, discussed how the current year’s spaghetti crop was unusually successful due to the mild winter and “the virtual disappearance of the spaghetti weevil.” His comments were accompanied by footage showing a Swiss family harvesting pasta from a spaghetti tree and placing it into baskets. When hundreds of viewers phoned the station to learn how they could grow their own spaghetti tree, the BBC answered, “Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”

As humorous as this and many other examples of April Fool’s hoaxes can be, certainly no one in their right mind relishes the opportunity to be deceived. Few people wake up in the morning and top their to-do list with the intentional pursuit and belief of that which they know not to be true. Yet deception still happens, and with alarming prevalence. Such is the nature of deceit: that which is false poses as that which is desired to be true. Then the human heart, being deceitful, desperately wicked, and never known for its objectivity, bridges over any gaps in consistency and deception, as we understand it, quietly and often unknowingly takes root.

During my morning prayers recently, I have found myself earnestly seeking for deliverance from deception. I am not thinking of any specific vulnerabilities, but I can relate to what Paul said in 2 Corinthians 11:3: perhaps the serpent, who deceived Eve in his craftiness, could lead some of us astray from that which we’ve come to know as true. Of course, this would be terrible, but to ignore or deny the risk is to put too much faith in our own ability to avoid that which, in our human weakness, we are not always able to identify.

So what are we to do? I believe Paul gives us an indication, by identifying that from which the serpent attempts to leads us astray: the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ. Loving the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength does not need to be all that complicated and neither should it be compromised with pursuits of supposedly equal importance. This “main thing” only becomes complicated when we want it to include something we know it shouldn’t; therein lies the trap door to deception.

Personally, my rule of thumb is to seek alignment with three short phrases taken from the Scriptures. The first two come from Psalm 24:4: Do I have clean hands, and a pure heart? In other words, is my conscience clear, and are my motives unimpeachable? The third is found in 1 Timothy 1:5: Is my faith sincere? Am I believing God, without any allowances for doubt, that He will perform what is best? I believe that our safe harbor from the threats of deception lies in maintaining, by the grace of God, clean hands, a pure heart, and sincere faith. I trust that each of us will find such things to be true in our experience – and therefore, also, the absence of deception – by keeping to such simple, pure devotion to Christ.

The Gospel Priest

My children know that for work, my job is to “take care of God’s money.” To hear them describe it, this means that I count it, make sure none of it gets lost, and I hand it out when someone needs to buy something. Oh, and I spend a lot of time “checking my e-mail.” After hearing that, who wouldn’t want to be employed in the financial services industry?! Of course, one of my sons would still rather run an ice cream shop. Oh, well. As simple as their understanding of my job description is, though, the recognition of the One who is the owner of the assets I steward is something I take very seriously. Furthermore, the position of acting as an agent for God in this specific way is something I view as a rare and unique privilege.

My respect for the treasury office is borne out of the first few verses of Leviticus 22, where the priestly class is exhorted to approach the gifts of the people with the utmost respect and carefulness. Indeed, the privilege of serving as the contact point between the gifts of the people and the God who receives them, transcending both the natural and the supernatural, is a calling not to be taken lightly. Consider the example of the sons of Eli, members of the priestly class by birth, yet they were men who “despised the offering of Jehovah.” They took advantage of their position, and it ultimately cost them their lives.

Today, the privileges of the priestly office – and the sobering responsibilities attached thereto – are no longer limited to the biological descendents of Levi. Where the priests and Levites were to stand before God on behalf of all their brethren, thus making the sons of Israel a peculiar people amongst those of all the earth, those who today have been purchased unto God with the blood of the Lamb are to stand before the Most High on behalf of the whole world, thus producing an inheritance for our Redeemer that is worthy of His glory. No longer are the priestly functions limited to the house of Aaron, or is the Levitical service restricted to the sons of Levi. Not only are all those who call upon the name of the Lord saved to the uttermost, they are also enjoined to that which is being made unto our God a kingdom and priests. And someday, they will reign upon the earth.

A vital service the priests of the gospel perform today is to merely exist as believers. When the nation of Israel entered the Promised Land – by crossing the Jordan River on dry ground – the priests of Israel executed a vital step in the process by merely standing and ostensibly, believing. God told Joshua that when the priests that bear the ark stand in the river, the water would part and the nation could cross over. Despite the water swirling round their ankles and the questioning looks of bystanders, they stood firm. And because they believed and obeyed, they invited a divine manifestation of the supernatural.

Today, we are exhorted to put on the full armor of God so that we, too, may stand firm. The world around us is full of streams of iniquity and uncleanness, rushing in at us from many directions. But Jesus tells us that rivers of living water flow from the hearts of those that believe in Him. This living water overcomes every worldly obstacle and invites a connection with God that would not otherwise be possible. Be encouraged – despite the streams of filth often swirling round our ankles and the confused looks of the children of the world, our obedience to believe, and stand, has significant ramifications for our world.

There are many other functions of the priests of the gospel, but one other worth noting in this column is the occasional opportunities that arise to join with other gospel priests to believe, worship, or otherwise stand before God. Just as the priests of Israel gathered several times a year for those same purposes, priests of the gospel have similar opportunities. Whether it is meeting with a local congregation on a weekly basis or joining with a larger association of believers several times a year, none of us should forsake the assembling of ourselves together. Just such an opportunity will be available next week at Fairwood to all those who have been so called as we join together to celebrate the Passover and consider the progress of the Christian pilgrim. You don’t want to miss it: it is our responsibility, and our privilege.