Living Life Looking Back?

Attempting to navigate life while staring into the rear-view mirror will lead inevitably to a crash. We will miss today’s opportunities if we are desperate to re-capture the happiness of another time in life.  If we live in the past, we almost certainly will live in a place that never really existed. History gets rewritten. We tend to minimize the difficulties or failures.  Try to think back even to one year ago. The stuff you were dealing with on a daily basis is largely forgotten. Your recall is limited to banner moments. The ordinary moments - the flat tires, broken appliances, frustrations, arguments... they have disappeared into the fog of memory recalled only with great effort!

Christians fall into the trap of nostalgia in the faith walk, too. Some complain about the state of the church, criticize the youth, and/or long for the preaching of another era.  "It's not the way it used to be," they sadly say; and they are right! Change is inevitable! Any organization that makes keeping all things exactly the same - and many do - become less and less effective. The world moves on and so must we.  A living Christian must grow. But, you say, "Jerry, Christianity is ancient.  Traditions are important."   And you're right.   The Bible assures us that "Jesus Christ is the same; yesterday, today, and forever."   The celebrations of Communion, baptism – remembering the birth, death, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus – keep us anchored to the core truths of our faith.  Some traditions are helpful because they preserve continuity in the Christian community. And I believe that novelty, just trying to be on the 'cutting edge’ to keep things interesting for the restless, just lead us on a wild goose chase after every new fad. The Bible warns about being "immature like children … tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching." (Ephesians 4:14, NLT)

How the Gospel is communicated; the forms of our corporate worship, will change over time. Songs that moved us, that shaped our expressions, will be replaced by the songs of new artists who are expressing their love for Christ with new rhythms and melodies.  That is true, but believe me - each generation's innovations in Christian worship has provoked the ire of the previous generation!

Now, let me speak personally to you.  

·         Are you missing out on what God wants to do in your life TODAY, because you're attempting to recreate the spiritual experiences of another time?

·         Do you fondly remember a decade when, in your memory anyway,  God seemed so close to you?   

Rejoice in that!   Don't try to erase yesterday. My great memories of family times with my kids are foundational to my love for them today.  But, if I attempt to relate to my kids who are now adults like I did when they were pre-adolescents, I'll alienate them from me.    So it is with the Lord. What He did for you and with you yesterday is foundational for your walk with Him today, but those things are past, and He's doing a new thing in you, in me!

Ask God to help you to see and appreciate what He's doing today.  If you think the Church has gone a little 'off the rails,'  pray for those who lead, asking the Spirit to make His Presence known - and be ready for God to do a new thing - in you, in your church, in this world!  Consider Jesus' parable -  “No one tears a piece of cloth from a new garment and uses it to patch an old garment. For then the new garment would be torn, and the patch wouldn’t even match the old garment. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. The new wine would burst the old skins, spilling the wine and ruining the skins." (Luke 5:36-37, NLT)

Here’s a word from the Word. Pray for new vision for the future as you read it.  “Sing a new song to the Lord, for he has done wonderful deeds. He has won a mighty victory by his power and holiness." (Psalm 98:1, NLT)  And remember this, about vision for the future:  “Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare.” – Oswald Saunders

Forgetting our dignity

His Applause, all that matters

King David finally was bringing the Ark of the Covenant home. It was an exciting day and the king was overcome with joy in the Lord. As the procession entered the city, he started to dance, then spin, and then… he shed his royal robe! Right there in the street he was down to his royal underwear, leaping, dancing, and shouting the praises of God. Some people were delighted by his enthusiasm, but not all! "Michal daughter of Saul (David’s wife) watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart." (2 Samuel 6:16, NIV) When he got back to the palace, he expected to share his joy. Instead, she met him with her contempt.  “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, disrobing in the sight of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”  

Whole-hearted worship, radical surrender, and great sacrificial service will inspire some to join you in adoration and worship. When you devote yourself fully to the Lord, expect critics to raise their voices and even some Christians will come to despise you. Your devotion will be a silent rebuke. It’s simply too hard to say, “I refuse to sell out to God that radically. I just don’t want to do it.”  It so much easier to turn on the true worshiper, to criticize his devotion and/or his motive. That’s why each of us must look only for the applause of the audience of One. His approval must be enough for us. It was for David.  When his wife mocked his worship, he told her:  “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes." (2 Samuel 6:20-22, NIV)

If you listen to the critics, you will cease to love God as you should. Instead of dancing for His applause, you will become the puppet dancing on the strings pulled by others. I am not suggesting that we become self-absorbed, so insistent on doing our thing with God that we forget civility. Our deepest intimacy and our greatest sacrifice generally should be reserved for times alone with God. Jesus warned that we can turn prayer and worship into a performance designed to impress others. Our only reward, He said, is their admiration. Heaven falls silent when we start to dance for the crowd!  But, there will be moments when the Spirit of God sweeps over us and we just forget ourselves, enthralled by His love. In those moments, we must gently and humbly remind our critics, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, NIV)  

Here is the word from the Word. “Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)

_______________

Undignified

I will dance! I will sing!

To be mad for my King.

Nothing, Lord, is hindering

The passion in my soul.

And I'll become even more

Undignified than this!

Some would say it's foolishness, but

I'll become even more

Undignified than this!

© 1995 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

Matt Redman

CCLI License No. 810055

A mission of peace

Do you live in peace? Apart from love, there is nothing that enhances the quality of our lives like being at peace with the world. Simmering conflict, no matter where it’s happening, at home, at work, in our church, or in the world; robs us of joy. Yet, we fight! I counsel with people who are at war with themselves and their world. They are always ready for a fight, taking offense, insisting on their rights. They seem not to see the high cost of being so belligerent. They often remind me of a tiny dog owned by a friend. The little animal is apparently terribly insecure, shivering in perpetual fright. Even when held securely on the lap of his owner, he snarls at everyone who approaches. If you reach out to pet him, he lets out a pathetic tiny growl. He is miserable and only deepens his fear by his constant hyper-aggression.

The path to peace begins with our relationship with God. Our sinfulness alienates us from our Father. In our willfulness, we are cut off from His love, separated from His care. But, through Christ, we can find reconciliation with Him.  Jesus’ story about a wayward, self-willed son who goes home to be a slave and finds himself fully restored as a son is our story. When we come without excuse or argument, accepting the love of Christ, we can rest, knowing peace with Abba!

Peace grows when we choose to forgive. How can we hold onto the debt created by those who have wronged us, when God is so generously gracious towards us? Few things destroy our peace more than living with a heart that refuses to let go of the past. Jesus taught us to pray that we will find forgiveness even as we forgive those who trespass against us. The reality of life is that hurts will come. People will disappoint us. Some will even intentionally try to harm us.  From our secure place in the love of our Abba, we can seek peace, forgiving and leaving justice to Him.

Our peace is secured by profound faith that accepts God’s grace just for today. God’s wisdom runs so counter to our ideals of self-expression. He says that "the meek will inherit the land and enjoy great peace." (Psalm 37:11, NIV)  Humility allows us to enjoy peace. The Hebrew word is ‘shalom’ which means so much more than simply absence of conflict. Included in that peace, that holy ‘shalom,’ is wholeness, fullness, prosperity, and health! No matter where He leads, we can live at peace. But, to do so, we will have to choose humility – before God and with others. Those who would live in holy peace don’t live life on their own terms.

Choose peace. The Bible teaches us that peace does not find us, we choose it! “Search for peace, and work to maintain it.” (1 Peter 3:11 NLT) Make peace and may peace be your mission.

The Bible describes the peace of the coming Messianic Kingdom in the most picturesque way. As you read this word from the Word, pray that you will live in peace today; at peace with God, seeking peace with others, so that His kingdom may come to you. "The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:6-9, NIV)

____________

Coming to Jesus, my Savior, I found;

Wonderful peace, wonderful peace.

Storms in their fury may rage all around,

I have peace, sweet peace.

Peace like a holy and infinite calm;

Wonderful peace, wonderful peace.

Like to the strains of an evening Psalm,

I have peace, sweet peace,

Peace, peace, wonderful peace!

Peace, peace, glorious peace!

Since my Redeemer has ransomed my soul,

I have peace, sweet peace.

Wonderful Peace
© 1923. Renewed 1950 Lillenas Publishing Company (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)

Haldor Lillenas

CCLI License No. 810055

Conspiracy and Fear

"Are you fearful of the future?" the man behind the counter at the auto repair shop asked me. He is and said so emphatically. He wonders about providing for his family in these uncertain times. His is concerned about his children's security in a world where war and violence are much in the news. He sees the decline of morality and fears what kind of nation this will be in years to come. As a Christian, he feels guilty about his fear because he thinks it is evidence of a lack of faith.

There is real reason for anxiety at this time. The seeds of destruction are planted in our culture; known for its self-indulgence, feeling of entitlement, and near complete lack of God awareness. Then, too, the weapons of war in our world are vastly more powerful than in the past, making the possibility of suffering much more probable. The Church, which has the words of life, is anemic, so wrapped up with the world that she is incapable of calling for repentance and return to God which could save us. Yet I am hopeful, concerned but not afraid. Why? Because God will keep His people and bring us home. Even if America collapses under the weight of her sin, (and I think she will) those whose hope is in the Lord have the promise of peace. God does not promise to protect my way of life, but He says that He will keep ME!

Isaiah preached in a dreadful time for his nation. It was on the brink of destruction, a powerful empire on its borders threatened. Spiritual complacency gripped the people. Yet the Spirit spoke through him and told the faithful: "Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread, and he will be a sanctuary."   There would be suffering ahead for Judah because the Lord was going to allow the invasion, but He would not abandon His people forever. "For both houses of Israel he (God) will be a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. And for the people of Jerusalem he will be a trap and a snare." (Isaiah 8:12-14, NIV)

If we allow fear for the future to control us, we will lose our ability to serve the Lord. We will turn inward, focusing all our efforts on preserving our stuff instead of our soul! Jesus says, "I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:4-7, NIV)

When the news of calamity and the theories of conspiracies of evil men swirl around you, turn to the Lord in prayer. Don't just pray for relief or for a bubble of safety. Pray instead that the fear of things to come will be replaced by an awesome sense of His love and purposes. Serve Him with such intensity that you have no need to worry. Here's a word from the Word. It's wisdom for the fearful. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." (Proverbs 1:7, NIV) "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)

Purely A Matter of Conscience?

“Pastor, is it right for me to  …?”  is a common question involving choices of entertainment, diet, and work.  Disciples who desire a close walk with the Lord will be concerned about living a pure life.  The Holy Spirit, who lives in us, knows us personally and He will guide us in these choices.  Let me illustrate from my recent experience. I enjoyed watching CBS TV “Survivor” for many seasons. Last week the Holy Spirit whispered, “Jerry, no more.”  The impression was strong. So, I chose obedience. “Survivor” is no longer part of my life for Christ’s sake.  (Please understand that this is a personal illustration, not a rule for all Christians.) I place a higher priority on enjoying a unhindered fellowship with the Holy Spirit than on doing what I want to do! I know the cost of ignoring His leading: loss of the closeness with the Father, inability to pray with conviction, a guilty conscience.

Christian disciples down through the ages have been tempted to write rules, to try to govern the impulses of the sinful nature with restrictions. In my earlier years, my family legislated all television out of the house because ‘that is what a good Christian does.’  Those kinds of laws never work in restraining sin. Human nature being what it is, people find loopholes, ways to excuse themselves. Or they scrupulously observe the rule, while entirely missing the point! Jesus spoke of rule-keepers who ‘strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.’  Who said he didn’t have a sense of humor? 

The Word teaches us that it is not a law that should compel us, but the Spirit who should guide us to holy lives that please and honor God. First century Christians were divided in their convictions about dietary choices. Some were convinced that they eat anything, others equally convinced that eating meat that was once part of a sacrifice to idols was sinful.  Did Paul write a rule? No!  He pointed out a principle that remains for us.  “You were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything." (1 Corinthians 6:11-14, NLT)  He pointed out the importance of recognizing the difference between what is permissible and what is in our best interest spiritually. A key question that all disciples should ask of themselves in every situation is whether they are moving towards Christ or away from Him.

Another principle that guides us in our daily choices as a Christian is our love for others. If our exercise of liberty is harmful to the Body of Christ, we are in sin. To Christians who were arguing about what day was the ‘right one’ for worship, who were making rules about diets, the Spirit said:  "He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone." (Romans 14:6-7, NIV) "Let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall." (Romans 14:13, NLT)

Disciple are you wrestling with what’s right and wrong for you? Know the Word! If God speaks to the issue (and He does on things like greed, injustice, dishonesty, and adultery) then bring your life in line with His command. If the Word is silent on your dilemma, then pray and listen for the Spirit’s leading. He knows you uniquely and personally, your weakness and your strength, and He will lead you to a place where you are able to enjoy the deepest intimacy with the Lord.

Commit yourself to the Law of Love.  It’s our word from the Word for today. "Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40, NIV)