Secure in His care

This Springtime morning the air was filled with the chirps, whistles, and cries of the birds. What a difference from the cold silent mornings to which I awakened a few weeks ago. The dogwood tree in my front yard, which was a snarl of brown twigs, this morning is decorated with beautiful white flowers. The lawn, which was patchy and brown, is lush and green. Where does all this life come from as Spring takes over from Winter? I'm not asking that like a scientist, for there are certainly explanations offered in of migratory patterns, germinating seeds, and extended sunshine warming the earth. Instead, I am looking at Springtime with worshipful wonder and thankfulness to the God who designed all this for you and me!

I found the chirping birds and bursting life in my yard curiously comforting this morning, a stark contrast to the woeful news that fills the pages of the newspaper and that pours out of the television. Our President, with all the power and authority that is available to him, is incapable of making a bird sing or a flower grow. Unending war, shortages of energy supplies, and economic challenges left President Bush grasping for answers in his news conference last night. All he could say is, "progress is being made," over and over again. In our demands, we fail to remember that he is just a man, a leader yes, but never-the-less an ordinary man.

The challenges in my own life chatter away in my mind demanding that I grow anxious, making my shoulder muscles tight and painfully tense. Most of you understand for you, too, face the stresses of life. May I invite you to go and stand for a few moments to listen to the birds, to contemplate the wonderful works of the Creator?

I read the closing chapters of the book of Job again today. I love the way God 'comforts' Job! Instead of soothing Job and empathizing with him in his sorrow, God points to the wonder of Creation as if to say, "Look up, higher, past your troubles."

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?

Tell Me, if you have understanding.

Who determined its measurements?

Surely you know!

Or who stretched the line upon it?

To what were its foundations fastened?

Or who laid its cornerstone,

When the morning stars sang together,

And all the sons of God shouted for joy?...
Have you commanded the morning since your days began,

And caused the dawn to know its place,

That it might take hold of the ends of the earth,

And the wicked be shaken out of it? " (Job 38:4-7; 12-13, NKJV)

What a Word! We need to have our minds lifted from preoccupation with our troubles and trials. We need to gain Heaven's perspective. When we do, we will be able to live in Jesus' promise of provision. Here it is. Take it with you today and when the anxiety rises, repeat it to yourself again.
"So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are." (Matthew 6:25-26, NLT)
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)

Gold Fever

It has caused wars, provoked people to murder, brought on uncontrollable greed, made people insanely lustful, and driven men to abandon family, home, and safety in quests to own it. It is a soft metal, yellow in color - called gold! Today gold is 'green' as in dollars! Last night on 60 Minutes (CBS) Vickie Mabrey reported on a story out of Iraq. In April, 2003, soldiers from the 3rd Infantry Division of the US Army, were part of the invasion. Two weeks into the war, they had pushed into Baghdad. One day, in three separate locations, they discovered dozens of metal boxes each about the size of a picnic cooler. Opening the boxes they discovered they were packed with $100 bills, about $4 million in each box! At two locations, officers quickly took charge and placed the money in the custody of the US government. But in another location, something different happened. I'll quote one of the soldiers who was there.

"And then … there was a moment that everything turned … evil. The air was thick…The looks had changed. You could see that everyone was just out for themselves."
"What do you mean, evil?" asks Mabrey.
"Have you ever been in a room with that much money?" asks Novak, adding that another soldier actually talked about killing someone to keep the discovery quiet.
(see http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/04/25/60II/main690763.shtml )

What an illustration of the Bible's statement - "People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Timothy 6:9-10, NIV)

One of the most enduring myths among human beings from every age is that wealth will satisfy the soul hunger that exists within us. It is true that money can do some amazing things - buying us pleasure, causing others to treat us with respect, and giving us power. If you watch The Apprentice, a reality TV program that features Donald Trump, a rich real estate developer from New York City, you will always see people fawning over him, treating him with deference, for no other reason except that he is rich! His opinions matter, not because he is smarter or because he's invented something that will bring better lives to millions, but because he has $Billions in assets.

I even find this happening among Christian pastors. The one who is privileged to lead a larger, wealthier congregation is much more likely to be invited to speak to the conference gathering than the one who leads a little country church off of the beaten path. Pastor John, who shows up at the gathering with his entourage of associates, is often shown much more deference than Pastor Joe who drives up up alone!

Most of us think that gold fever is something that only effects somebody else. We just have 'needs.' They are greedy. How deceitful our hearts are. We find ways to disguise our greed even from ourselves, thinking if we drive a certain kind of car, or live in a certain kind of house, or give a certain percentage of our income -- we have mastered that universal tendency towards acquisitiveness. But, what if we were tested like those soldiers in Iraq? What if, suddenly, we had access to large sums of money? What would happen to us? Would we change, seized by gold fever?

The Bible warns about trying to use our faith to build wealth, about thinking of God as a means to 'get more.' Instead, we are challenged to become content. Here's what the Word says, "men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth.... suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself. Now godliness with contentment is great gain." (1 Timothy 6:5-6, NKJV)

The cure for gold fever is thankful, genuine gratitude that we offer as a sacrifice to the Lord, day by day.Here's a word from the Word to take with you today -
"Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness,
And for His wonderful works to the children of men!
For He satisfies the longing soul,
And fills the hungry soul with goodness. " (Psalm 107:8-9, NKJV)

Bowed heads and bent knees

One would think that the mysteries of faith, that pondering the awesomeness of the works and wisdom of God, would produce a great sense of humility in those who are deeply devoted to things spiritual. It surely did that for Isaiah who, when he had a vision of the Almighty, cried out, "Woe to me... I am ruined!" My observation is that among Christians just the opposite is often true! Those who claim a close relationship with God are frequently possessed of a "I am right and you are wrong" spirit. Positions of 'ministry' become, for some, little personal kingdoms. Many among us who claim to know the One who called Himself, "The Way," seem to think that the majesty of His Truth gives us a right to be disrespectful of those with whose convictions we differ.

Even within the Christian church, among various groups holding differing doctrinal views there is a great capacity for arrogance.

Some who believe that God sovereignly orders all things openly doubt that those who believe in free will are even Christian!

Some who believe that Christ's sacrifice is within the reach of all who would choose to receive His grace by faith, are quick to deride those who believe that Jesus' saving grace is available only to the Elect.

Pentecostals proudly declare they are followers of the way of the "Full Gospel" seeming unaware that if their motto is true that means non-Pentecostals have a partial Gospel. Is there such a thing?

Others don't blink an eye as they declare that the King James Version of the Scripture is the only real Bible! What incredible arrogance for people who are speaking of eternal mysteries of which even the most erudite have only the most elementary grasp!

This past Sunday, Evangelical Christianity was treated to an egregious display of Christian religious hubris. It was called "Justice Sunday." (see http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=LH05D02) Church leaders joined forces with the Republican party to attempt to rally Christians to apply pressure to United States Senators in support for President Bush's nominees for the Federal bench. I agree that the President has a constitutional right to nominate whomever he pleases and that the Senate has the right to vote on those nominees in their role of 'advise and consent.' I also agree that some very qualified candidates for the Federal bench are being denied their vote by Senators who are intent on keeping abortion legal and furthering an agenda of homosexual rights. However, using high-blown rhetoric to inflame people, in God's name, to promote a political party's program, is nothing short of an exercise of power that is rooted in pride! I believe that exercises such as "Justice Sunday" give Jesus a bad name, and I think that the spirit of this kind of 'might makes right' event breaks His heart.

I wonder what long term results might have happened if instead of holding loud rallies designed around speeches to attract national media attention, our Christian leaders had called us to a day of fasting and to gather in our churches to sit in silent prayer? Might God have listened to our hearts and seen our tears and saved our children from this land's growing debauchery? Do you think Jesus' words when He said-- “And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat? “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace." (Matthew 6:5-6, The Message)-- apply here?

Friend, are you humble?
The Word calls on us to humble ourselves before the Lord!

Here's a passage for your contemplation today. Read it with a bowed head and a bent knee, an attitude of surrender to Him. It has something to say to each of us - as citizens, as parents, as Christians, as friends, as individuals:

• "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling;" (Philippians 2:5-12, NKJV)

________________________

Father, what wondrous things You have done for us,
giving us grace and love while we were undeserving.
In our time, Lord, we are rich and our wealth has made us proud.
Forgive us who bear Your Name before the the world for
adopting the practices of power, pride so common among the 'self-sufficient.'
Teach us to seek You, to trust You,
to serve You - humbly and consistently;
alike in times of exaltation and times of deep need.

Give us the mind of Jesus Christ by the inner work of the Spirit
and make us forgetful of ourselves,
content to be no more and no less than You call us to be;
willing to bear whatever burden You lay on us with patience.
Jesus Christ, be glorified in us today
as we practice humility that allows Your Light to shine through us
uneclipsed by our pride.
Amen.

Breathed by God

We live in what is often called "the Information Age." An torrent of words flow our way everyday from multiple sources. That you are reading this TFTD indicates you are 'wired,' a part of the most amazing information development in human history - the Internet. As a pastor I am able, by this medium, to influence the thoughts of people far beyond the physical location of the pulpit from which I speak on Sunday. TFTD is read by people in Italy, the Far East, Australia, and many of the 50 states of the USA. I don't write that to boast, but to illustrate a point. Many of those readers have no way to know what kind of person I am. They are unable to see the life context that shapes the messages that arrive in their computers each morning. The anonymous nature of the Internet demands a high level of discernment from us and requires that we have a safe standard to use in evaluating the content of the information we find there.

For the Believer the ultimate standard of Truth is the Holy Scripture. That said, I want to encourage you to be students of the Bible, to learn to love the Word of God and to read it for all it's worth. Paul encouraged Timothy to remember the value of the Scriptures - which at that time consisted of the Books of the Law and the writing of the Prophets. He wrote: "why, you took in the sacred Scriptures with your mother’s milk! There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us." (2 Timothy 3:15-17, The Message)

"God-breathed" is a curious construction, isn't it? In many translations the word is "inspired." But didn't men write the words of the Bible? Yes, of course they did. It didn't fall down from the sky written by angelic scribes! Peter tells us that these writers were "moved by the Spirit." They breathed the Breath of God and in their stories and words recorded His wisdom for us. To recognize the human means of receiving the Word does not, in any way, diminish its power in my life, but it does make it study a bit more complex.

For example, to fully understand Paul's teaching letters we need to know to whom he first wrote and why. Galatians, that wonderful letter about Christian freedom from religious regulations, was written to a church he had founded and that had fallen under the spell of false teachers who were stealing the richness of Christ's grace from them. We can feel Paul's passion still after 2000 years as he asks, "You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." (Galatians 3:1, NIV)

Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were inspired to write the Jesus story, but each gives us a distinct perspective. As we understand that Matthew wants us to see Jesus as the Jew's Messiah, that Mark wants us to know that He is the powerful Son of God, that Luke wants us to understand that He is the Son of Man, the Savior; and that John is intent on helping us to see that He is the unique God-Man, who brought Light and Life to a dark world; the Gospel becomes a multi-faceted diamond that reflects God's truth into our lives.

When we read the stories of the the patriarchs and of the Jewish people who were alternately faithful and faithless, we are able to trust God to meet us where we are and to lead us to Himself- generation after generation! Thousands of years of great stories from the Old Testament era help us to learn that while God uses individual people, His purposes survive fools and frauds.

The way that we commonly hear the Bible used may actually diminish our ability to understand it. We hear a snippet here and a proof text there, little lines taken from their rich context and turned into a kind of pithy proverb to make a point. Yes, it is the common way the Bible is read and preached and used - even here in TFTD. It is true that we can excerpt passages and study them, we may even quote a phrase to underscore a point, but the best way to let the Scripture become the Gift of Truth to us which God intends - is to read it with understanding of context, with grasp of the story line, and with deep love for the One whose Breath makes the Words alive! Hebrews reminds us that "the Word of God is living and active." As the Spirit lives in us and in the Word, a miracle of living Truth occurs. The letters of Paul, the Gospel stories, the prophets' raging sermons, the Psalms rich images- are not just some legal text which we dissect and systematize with footnotes and bullet points. Instead, we find God's voice speaking to us, "—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live."

Let me encourage you to read the Bible! Don't read it to 'get something' out of it. Don't go looking for a verse to prove your point, or a passage to support your latest twist of doctrine. Instead, read it with an open heart and discerning mind, as the story of God! Read it with a kind of wonder and a deep humility. You will find that God will use those ancient texts to create wisdom in you, to shape your life in a way that pleases Him, and that causes you to learn to love Him with your whole life.

Read it again- for the first time!

Watch how you swing that Sword!

Frank came by my office to drop off a pistol he was letting me use for target practice. After he left, I took the firearm in my hand to see how it balanced, raised it to eye level and pointed upwards towards the corner of my office. On impulse, I pulled the trigger. Bang! It actually fired! The concussion shook me, not just physically, but emotionally. I broke the first law of gun safety! I handled a deadly weapon without first checking the chamber for a round. I assumed, very wrongly, that Frank, an experienced gun owner, wouldn't transport the gun without making sure it was unloaded. Always check your deadly weapon before handling it! The lesson, learned 15 years ago, remains with me to this day. I've never picked up another gun without being certain about whether it is loaded and ready to fire. Thankfully, the result of my stupidity was nothing more serious than a small hole in the sheetrock near the ceiling and a very damaged pride.

• Do you realize the power of the Bible, the power that the Scripture's Truth can wield?
  Do you handle that Word with care and skill?

I am sad to admit that I didn't always use the Word in a manner that was appropriate to the power that is packed into it, nor was I necessarily concerned with using it in a way that ultimately produced wholeness. It was my practice to quote Scripture in a rather indiscriminate way that labeled and judged the actions of others-- Bang, Bang, Bang! Another sinner shot through by the Truth!

In my way of thinking, there were absolutes - and it was my God-given responsibility to make sure that everybody knew what was right and what was wrong. If someone got hurt in the process, oh well... that was just the inevitable result of 'telling the Truth!' Today, I realize that would be like a police officer taking out his pistol at every traffic stop and firing off a few rounds, just for effect, unconcerned if somebody got hurt or killed. Police are armed for a purpose. On rare occasions they are allowed to use their weapon with deadly force, but every good officer dreads the day he would have to use that authority.

The Psalmist lauds the power of the Word to heal: "You were in serious trouble, but you prayed to the Lord, and he rescued you. By the power of his own word, he healed you and saved you from destruction." (Psalm 107:19-20, CEV) Isn't that remarkable? God's Word is a healing word. Yes, the implications are far greater than just healing for our physical ills. He speaks to draw us back from danger, to guide us away from destruction, to bring wholeness into our lives.

The Word of God does cut deeply! "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12, NIV) The Word is like a surgeon's scalpel, cutting into us but for the purpose of excising from our hearts and minds those attitudes and ideas that are diseased and death-producing.

The Word is described as a Sword, an offensive weapon given to us for our protection! "Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Ephesians 6:17, NIV) The modern equivalent - the sidearm. Hence, my opening illustration.

Take this instruction with you today. Ask yourself if you are showing proper respect for the power of the Word, if you are a skilled user of the Sword of the Spirit.
"Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15, NIV)